


Peaches

by lovelyairi



Category: B.A.P
Genre: Hybrids, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2018-12-23 10:39:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 50,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11988108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelyairi/pseuds/lovelyairi
Summary: Everything changed for bunny hybrid YoungjaeWhen the cat moved back next door





	1. Peaches 'n Cream [Prologue]

_Youngjae runs along with his classmates happily, a bright smile on his chubby cheeks as his ears flop on his head. He giggles when the dog hybrid, Jongup, tags him suddenly._

_"You're it!" he screams before he races off in delight. Youngjae scans the field for his friends and he immediately spots Junhong lounging on the ground and he chases after him. But to his demise, the chipmunk hybrid scurries up a tree._

_"Junhonggie that's no fair! No trees allowed!" he huffs as he taps his foot angrily on the floor, his tail twitching as he glares up at the younger hybrid who pouts. Junhong's brown tail curls and straightens as he watches the others below._

_"Choi Junhong there's no climbing trees during recess!" Mrs.Jung chides from across the field and she makes her way closer. Junhong doesn't hesitate to climb down and he chews the inside of his cheek when he gets a lecture._

_"Okay round up! We're going to start the game over!" Himchan yells and he waits for the younger ones to gather. He looks around at the circle and is pleased to find that all of them are present, minus Yongguk who's stuck in the pool where the other aquatic hybrids were._

_"Wait, is that Daehyunnie?" Jongup shoots up and he squints his eyes at the figure approaching from across the field. Youngjae turns around and his ears stand in joy when he sees his best friend getting closer._

_"Daehyunnie! I thought you weren't coming today?" Youngjae runs up to him in a heartbeat, a broad smile on his face as he looks at the cat hybrid who's holding something behind his back._

_"I got my teeth cleaned so momma said I could come for the second half of school. I'm going home with you." Daehyun speaks with his teeth bared and his mouth wider so he could show Youngjae how clean his teeth were after a visit to the dentist._

_"Oooo really clean Daehyunnie. So what's that? Smells weird." Youngjae sniffs the air and he scrunches his nose at the smell of... plastic? It smelt like those toys he hated playing with. The others decided to see what was taking so long and now they were all standing in a circle._

_"O-oh this? It's for you Youngjae." Daehyun stutters as he juts out what he was hiding behind his back. Youngjae blinks at the sight of fake sunflowers and he tilts his head in confusion,_

_"Will you marry me?" Daehyun's ears spasm and his tail swishes wildly behind him, his eyes clenched tight as he awaits the answer. The rest of the boys stare blankly at the proposal happening in front of them._

_Youngjae claps his hands happily and he wastes no time in receiving the flowers, Daehyun blushes and he holds Youngjae's hand before pressing a soft kiss on his knuckles._

_"Of course I'll marry you!"_

 


	2. Charmed, I'm Sure

The moment his alarm goes off, Youngjae jolts awake. He'd dreamt of the past again, it wasn't something that happened often but when it did it left him in a state of emptiness. He sat up in bed and wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands.

Youngjae reached for his phone sitting by his pillow and turned off the alarm quickly before he opened it to his track list, pressing the shuffle button he pocketed it and waddled across the room towards the door.

Just as he's about to open it he glances back at the window and he can see the outline of the window across from his, it'd been years since he saw someone in there. He shook his head and made his way to the washroom in the hallway.

His sock clad feet slip on the floorboards and he enters the washroom easily with his eyes half open, he thinks it's a skill but his mother would say otherwise. Youngjae turns on the light and closes the door, placing his phone on the hand towel on the counter before he looks at himself in the mirror.

His hair is sticking up in different directions and the fur on his ears is ruffled oddly. He smacks his lips and reaches for the small comb in the drawer but it isn't there. With his cheeks puffed he pulls open the door and pads downstairs.

"Mom, do you have the fur comb?" Youngjae asks as he makes his way down the few steps, he sees his mother sitting at the dining table, her head tilted as she watches the news and combs her ears.

"Oh Youngjae, here you go. Sorry, I woke up late." she smiles sheepishly and hands off the small wooden comb to her son. Youngjae takes it with a grin and runs back upstairs, returning to his previous position in front of the mirror.

He then takes his left ear in his hand and delicately combs the short caramel fur, he winces in the mirror and he sighs. His ears were always more sensitive than average, the doctors had said it was normal for some floppy eared hybrids.

When he was younger he could make his ears stand up if he wanted to, only when he was surprised or scared though, but when he passed the age of 10 they stopped doing so. And now at 17 they practically sat on his head like decorations.

Youngjae carries on with his morning routine and he steps out of the bathroom feeling refreshed but still tired. It was Wednesday and nothing felt longer than a Wednesday, especially when he had Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Functions every day of this semester.

The bunny hybrid returns to his bedroom and he removes his pastel pink hoodie that he'd been sleeping in. He then removes his white soffe shorts and his knee highs before he hops over to his closet.

Youngjae pulls open his closet and removes his uniform that was already ready for him, from the dress shirt and tie to the pants. It was currently April so summer uniforms were in effect, so no long sleeves and blazer.

After slipping on his uniform he pulls his tail into the slit in the back specially for hybrids with tails and he wiggles to get comfortable. Unlike the others who have longer tails his is a small stub, so it feels uncomfortably whilst being constricted by the tight fabric of his pants.

He grabs his bag that he'd already packed from the night before and puts on his glasses before he makes his way downstairs for breakfast. Youngjae sees that there's already a plate with two slices of whole wheat bread with apricot jam and his mouth waters.

"Oi Youngjae, remember Daehyun? He moved back yesterday." his mother says nonchalantly as she washes the dishes, eyes looking out of the window in front of her. He munches and nods,

"What a coincidence." he says to no one particular and he finishes off his breakfast quickly. Youngjae walks towards his mother and he sticks his hands under the stream of water, washing away the stickness of the jam.

"I'm leaving now mom, have a good day." Youngjae pecks her cheek and she places a kiss on his ear. He shudders at the sensation and she laughs aloud, drying off her hands with a towel.

"Have a good day Youngjae. The Jung's invited us over Friday for a dinner, since Daehyun's back and all." she tells him and he nods before he grabs his bag, puts on his shoes and he's out the door.

Daehyun was his childhood friend and neighbour, the slightly elder other was a cat hybrid and they played together all the time as children. When they were 9 the cat hybrid moved to Busan to live with his grandparents.

Youngjae hadn't seen him since. Which was very strange because whenever Daehyun came to visit his parents he could've just come to visit him as well, heck they were neighbours after all. But Daehyun had never done so, and for the past 8 years Youngjae had felt like he lost his best friend.

He'd acted like it wasn't a big deal earlier but of course he was brimming with excitement. Daehyun would surely be attending the same school as him right? It was the only school close by anyhow.

He walks with a skip in his step and he can't wait to tell the others that Daehyun's back.

 

"Daehyun? As in Jung Daehyun? As in bit me back in 2nd grade Daehyun?" Yongguk muses from his little tub. Being an aquatic hybrid in the city was tough, unlike the places near the sea the city wasn't as accomodating. It was currently lunch period and thankfully enough they all shared it.

Their school was prestigous in that each aquatic hybrid had their own transportation devices (to Youngjae it looked like a bathtub mixed with a wheelchair), because Yongguk was a fish hybrid and he needed water in his gills to breathe.

"Well you can't blame him for being a cat." Himchan cackles to his left and Yongguk rolls his eyes, he straightens out his tail and sighs. Out of the 5 of them the two eldest definitely looked closer to their animal selves.

Himchan had wings on his back, they were often fastened by a leather strap since they were inconvenient in hallways and while sleeping and his feet were clawed like a birds so shoes were definitely not an option.

Yongguk on the other hand had a lower half like a mermaids, his tail was a brilliant blue and his skin was littered with metallic spots that he'd explained were scales but they often fell off. He had fins on his arms and he was much too tall for his bathtub wheelchair.

"You never tried to eat me though, and you're a bird." Yongguk huffs at the memory while Youngjae just laughs prodding at his salad with a fork. He wishes the herbivore section in the cafeteria had more of a selection, the omnivores had it all and the carnivores had it just as good. He shouldn't be complaining though, Yongguk's food looked ghastly.

"So have any of you guys seen him?" Junhong asks while he chews on his chestnut cakes. Yongguk is poking at his seaweed salad, mumbling about there's more to a fishs' diet.

"Nope, haven't heard anything about a new student either. You think he's transferring tomorrow?" Jongup points out, scratching behind his large ear with vigour. He was a none other than a corgi hybrid and his ears stood up tall on his head, and like Youngjae his tail was more of a stub.

"Probably, mom didn't tell me much about it." Youngjae pushes his salad aside, losing an appetite for it. He wasn't sure how to take Daehyun's return, of course he was excited and happy but at the same time he was slightly angry with his friend?

"He might even be transferring for next week, tell us if you get in touch with him Youngjae hyung." Junhong wipes his mouth with a napkin and piles up the dirty plates and trays before he dutifully brings the trays to the lunch lady and the plates to the garbage.

"We're having dinner with Daehyun's family on Friday so I'll tell you guys about it." Youngjae mumbles in response, his hands lightly petting his right ear. It'd been a nervous habit he'd developed as a child.

"Hey, I know it's been years but you and Daehyun were close. Even if he's changed a lot it's not like you have to be friends now, we can only hope we'll have our group back together again." Yongguk smiles wryly as he places a hand on Youngjae's shoulder.

"Gross hyung." he laughs as he shakes off the elder's wet hand, Yongguk grins and he submerges himself in the tub, his gills fluttering as he breathes in and out. Jongup leans on his palm and purses his lips,

"Is it possible to drown him?" he questions and the table turns to him, Junhong who'd just returned from the trash bins was looking at him too. Himchan rolls his eyes and knocks Jongup on the head.

"Come on, lunch is almost over and I need to lug this idiot up to the 3rd floor for a seminar. It's already April and they're still hounding us about University/College applications." Himchan gestures to Yongguk who feigns hurt.

"Shut up, thanks to me you get to take the elevator anyways. We'll see you." Yongguk waves and he waits for Himchan to push him towards their lockers. He could use the lever that brings him forward but he likes to torture the other.

"Let's go Youngjae hyung." Jongup pats his shoulder and he nods, getting up from his seat as he swings his bag over his shoulder. 

 

When Youngjae returns home from library the house is empty like always. His father is overseas on a company trip and his mother owns the love hotel down the street. Her work hours range from afternoon to early morning since it was open 24/7, it was a hotel after all.

He sees that dinner is already prepared and he sighs in relief, he really wasn't in the mood to cook tonight. He'd spent a number of hours at the library and thankfully he managed to finish his lab report for biology. It was currently 8pm and he really just wanted to shower, eat and sleep.

He trudges up the stairs and puts his bag by his desk before he turns on the light, closing the door behind him. Youngjae enters and removes his tie, then he removes his uniform completely, hanging it up neatly and putting it back in his closet.

He takes out a pair of panties from his drawer and a large t shirt, as well as a pair of fuzzy socks. Youngjae had learned years ago that he wanted to be someone's baby. He wanted someone to baby him and take care of him, in all ways.

Nothing made him happier than dressing clothes that made him feel petite and adorable, so baggy shirts and sweaters, panties, knee socks and short shorts were definitely up his alley. He didn't like dresses and skirts very much and pastel colours were his favourite.

His parents didn't make much of a deal out of it, not that they could when his mother owned a love hotel adorned with a strip club establishment, and they often bought him clothes they figured he'd like.

Of course by this point they could tell their son was gay and they didn't pay much attention to it, as long as Youngjae was happy and doing well in school they could care less. After all, it was normal for bunny hybrids to embrace their cuter side.

Youngjae got into the shower and he scrubbed his hair messily, followed by a nice special shampooing of his ears and tail. He honestly couldn't tell the difference but his mother insisted it was better for their fur. 

Once he was done he dried himself off and pulled on his baby pink panties. Then he slipped the large t shirt over his head, it fell past his bum although his tail caused it to rise up a little showcasing a little of his buns.

He kept the towel around his neck to catch the droplets from his hair and he patted his ears as he went back to his bedroom. Youngjae threw the dirty boxers into the laundry bin and he froze when he saw that there was a light to his right. 

He turns to see a light on behind drawn curtains and he blinks when he sees a silhouette moving about behind the window pane. Youngjae's heart skips a beat and he wonders if it's Daehyun.

But when the silhouette vanishes so does his hopes. Feeling dejected Youngjae decides to quickly heat up some dinner and go to bed, maybe things would be clearer when he sees the other on Friday.

 

An itching thirst in his throat is what wakes Youngjae at 3am. He whines and whimpers before he finally gets out of bed, usually he'd keep a bottle of water by his bed but his mother had scolded him for never bringing them out once empty, which always resulted in a pile of plastic bottles in his bedroom.

Youngjae goes downstairs and he grabs a cold water bottle from the fridge, he opens it on the stairs and glugs it hungrily, cold water dripping down his chin and neck as he does so. 

The cold causes goosebumps to rise on his arms and he checks to see if his mother is home. Thankfully she's sleeping in her room soundly and he sighs in relief knowing that she's home safe.

As Youngjae returns to his room he places the bottle on his desk and when he looks out the window he freezes when he sees someone staring at him. The person is giving him an intense look, his dark eyes boring deep into Youngjae's.

He can vaguely tell that this was indeed Daehyun but unlike the cherub boy from his memories this person is much more alluring. With his black hair and slim face, plush lips that glisten when he licks them.

In the dim moonlight Youngjae can't fully make out his features but he can tell that Daehyun has grown to become quite the handsome man. His tail shakes beneath his t shirt.

Daehyun's white ears twitch on his head and his tail swishes behind him playfully, Youngjae notes that he's wearing nothing more than a tight black tank top and there's a black choker around his neck.

The two stare at each other for what seems like hours. Daehyun's gaze lingering over Youngjae's form while the latter tries to reassure himself that cat hybrid is a friend and that he won't eat him alive.

And then Daehyun smirks, Youngjae's eyes widen and the cat hybrid turns away from the window. The bunny hybrid watches as the curtains fall back into place before he runs back to his bed, squeezing his thighs tightly together as he snuggles into his duvet.

 


	3. Cobbler

The morning doesn't come soundly to the bunny hybird who'd barely slept a wink the night before. His tail quivered throughout the night which disturbed him greatly and his unease made it hard to fall asleep.

Not to mention the flurry of thoughts that attacked his conscience about his childhood friend who now seemed to be a completely different person altogether. The way Daehyun looked at him last night... was questionable.

After getting annoyed with his alarm he finally decides to turn the damned thing off. Youngjae grunts as he kicks off his duvet and he whines when he whacks his ear by accident with his flustered arms.

He feels like a mess today that was for sure. Cautiously, he gets up from bed and he approaches the view of the window, to his relief there's no one on the other side. Although he doesn't know why he'd think that Daehyun would be standing there waiting for him to wake up.

Unlike yesterday the window is opened and the curtain sway in the breeze. Youngjae can see the sight of a bed right under the window, or was it attached to the sill? He isn't too sure but he doesn't linger long, being caught staring into the cat's bedroom wasn't ideal.

His usual routine goes through a slur and he has no interest in keeping track of whether he'd washed his face or brushed his teeth although judging by the way his mother tsked and scrunched her nose, he didn't look too presentable.

"Youngjae did you even comb your ears? You'll get dry fur at this rate." she huffs as she plates up breakfast, Youngjae sits down and he wiggles to get comfortable on the stool his hands shyly rubbing the soft fur.

"I forgot mom, don't worry I'll shampoo extra long tonight." he says sleepily as he shovels oats into his mouth. Youngjae tries his best to appear normal, he knows that his mother has been dealing with some troublesome customers as of late and her hours were unpredictable.

"Have you seen Daehyun yet?" his mother asks as he's straightening out his uniform, Youngjae slips on his shoes and he avoids the memory of last night. He'd rather not have a weird expression around his mom.

"No I haven't. I'm off to school now mom, have a good day." he waves at her and she smiles at him. Youngjae practically sprints down the sidewalk and he heads in the opposite direction of the school.

Knowing that he'd have no chance of properly talking to the fish hybrid without the others around he decided he'd head to school with the elder. Yongguk lived just down the street, in what seemed like a large glass house.

It was the one place they could never go to do homework or hang out but they didn't mind. Himchan's house was in the sky and Junhong's was in a tree so they'd usually go to Youngjae's or Jongup's.

Without hesitating he pulls on the golden knocker situated on the door, the sound seems muffled by the flooded interior but Youngjae waits patiently. He steps back off of the front ramp and he sees Yongguk peep out from the side.

The elder looks absolutely majestic whilst in his element, Youngjae never got tired of seeing him completely submerged in water. He really was a mermaid, although he'd probably drown you if you called him that.

"What is it Youngjae?" Yongguk speaks through a contraption embedded in the glass, it's a mechanic device that works like a speaker and he keeps his finger on the button in order to do so.

"Come on hyung, I'll drive you to school. I need to talk to you." Youngjae speaks loud and clear. Yongguk raises an eyebrow and he swivels in the water, rounding about until he reaches the speaker again.

"Youngjae first of all, you can't drive my car. You can't breathe in the driver's seat. And second, you don't have your license?" Yongguk shakes his head with a gummy grin and Youngjae shrugs with a smile.

"I'll wring out the passenger's seat, wait for me at the front." Yongguk points to the grassy lawn and Youngjae nods, he turns and decides to sit on the ground as he waits since he knows that Yongguk's car is always specially filled to the brim with water.

There wasn't much he knew about living life as an aquatic hybrid in the city, he knew that there was a whole other civilization under the sea but Yongguk had once told him it was dangerous to raise your children there.

"Climb on in Youngjae." Yongguk's comes from behind him and Youngjae looks up at the elder's car that parks itself beside him. He stands up and brushes off his tail and bum from the grass and opens the door, a little trickle of water graces his feet and he looks at Yongguk accusingly.

"Well you can't expect it to be completely dry. There's a plastic cover in the glove box." Yongguk's voice is muffled behind the glass that encases the water in the driver's seat and Youngjae follows his order, pulling open the compartment before he pulls out a plastic sheet and drapes it over the seat.

"Okay so what's up." the bunny hybrid scrunches his nose at the faint smell of sea salt in the car and he slumps on the plastic sheet, the seat belt is still wet however and it creates a damped strip across his uniform.

"Last night, I saw Daehyun." he starts off slow and Yongguk doesn't say anything, he simply waits for the younger to continue. He can easily see that Youngjae is finding his words and he doesn't mind waiting a little longer. This family of lemur hybrids were taking forever to cross the street anyways.

"We didn't talk but the way he looked at me was strange? He looked at me like a predator Yongguk hyung. Or maybe it was the lighting, I'm not sure but it was... strange." he sighs at his lack of better words and Yongguk continues driving, for some reason the road to school seemed so long today.

"Maybe it was what you were wearing? Anyone would be confused if they hadn't grown up with you." Yongguk nudges the pedal with his tail and once again they're moving forward. The bunny hybrid considers this for a moment but what he wore last night could be considered normal, aside from the panties.

"I was just wearing a large t shirt and my usual panties." he says quietly and Yongguk turns left into the school parking lot. Nothing more is said between them and Youngjae sighs, the dinner was tomorrow and he was starting to get worried.

"Hey, don't worry about it too much. People don't change that drastically, how about we all go to the mall after school? Take your mind off things." Yongguk smiles and Youngjae slings on his bag before heading out back to grab the elder's bathtub wheelchair.

"Sure hyung, thank you." Youngjae helps Yongguk flop into the tub and the fish hybrid groans as he hits his side off of the side. For now there's no water inside of it so he has to wheel Yongguk to the door where the faucet is.

He may be a fish hybrid but the keyword was that he was a hybrid. Yongguk could survive out of the water for an hour or so but it makes him extremely uncomfortable and he prefers to not feel himself drying up like a prune.

"Youngjae, Yongguk!" a voice calls out to them from above and Yongguk lifts his arm to block out the blinding sunlight as he looks up towards the sky. The sound of wings flapping and the sight of brilliant talons enter their vision and Himchan flys towards them.

"Felt like I was gonna snatch you out of the water huh, fish?" Himchan laughs heartily as he perches himself on Yongguk's bathtub, his clawed feet keeping him from falling over.

"You're an idiot, go strap your wings in before I drown you." he warns and Himchan hops off, his wind causing the dust to stir off the ground and Youngjae coughs whilst waving a hand in front of his face.

"We're heading to the mall after school, you coming along hyung?" Youngjae knows that Himchan would rather kill them all than let them go to the mall without him, if the great Kim Himchan was not able to go, none of them were going.

"Sounds good, we can carpool in this fish sticks' car." Himchan removes his leather strap from his bag and he starts to confine his wings. Youngjae on the other hand begins to push Yongguk into the school with the bird hybrid following beside.

From the corner of his eye he can see a group of female bunny hybrids judging him and he rolls his eyes. Youngjae was the only male bunny hybrid in the school, it wasn't common for a male bunny hybrid to be born so they were quite rare. That was what Youngjae was told as a child considering he had 8 older sisters.

"Don't mind them Youngjae. Where's Junhong and Jongup, they'll miss the breakfast selection at this rate." Yongguk shifts in his tub and he straightens out his fins, they flutter in the water as he does.

"We can ask them about the mall at lunch. I've already eaten as usual so I guess I'll head to my locker and sort out some stuff. See you later hyungs." Youngjae hands off the tub to Himchan who's trying to position his wings comfortably and he gently tugs out one of the elder's feathers from beneath the strap.

"Okay Youngjae, we'll see you. Good luck on your Chemistry test." he waves at them both and bolts up the stairs, hoping that he doesn't run into anybody on the way.

 

The mall was bustling with high school students who had been looking forward to the moment they were released from what they would consider prison. Of course this included Youngjae and his friends who were carefully making their way through crowds of other young hybrids.

"Yongguk I swear we need to invest in a fish bowl we put over your head." Himchan mutters as he narrowly avoids running into a leopard hybrid who was standing in his way. Yongguk scoffs and rolls his eyes before he lifts his tail.

"I have no legs genius do you want to carry me around? That's like me asking you to put on a pair of shoes." he points to Himchan's claws and the other practically hisses at him. Youngjae rolls his eyes at the two who never stopped bickering while Jongup and Junhong looked around.

"I'm trying to remember if there's anything I want to buy." Junhong's ears twitch and Jongup purses his lips, his little stub of a tail had been wagging for some time now and Youngjae wonders if he's excited about something.

"Hyungs we're going to be in the game stop upstairs, I heard there's a new PS4 game and I want to try it out." Jongup points to the escalator to their left and Himchan frowns.

"We can all make our way up steadily you know. What, you have a curfew now pup?" Junhong apologizes to the squirrel hybrid that so obviously bumps into him and Youngjae laughs at her attempt of stuffing her flat chest.

"No offense but we don't want to help Youngjae hyung pick out his panties. We'll be on the look out for character socks at the game stop though." Jongup raises a hand and the bunny hybrid shrugs.

"None taken. I don't wear anything other than pastels though, black may be sexy but I have no clothing to match." Youngjae waves the maknae line off and they excitedly rush towards the escalator, he ignores the painful cry of the two colliding on the steps.

"Okay now towards my favourite store." Youngjae takes over in pushing Yongguk and the fish hybrid mumbles about how he can use the controller to bring himself forward. 

"How many panties do you need anyways? I swear we visit this store once a week and you always get more than 5 each time." Yongguk submerges himself and he remains underwater for his own comfort.

"There's different styles and fabrics, excuse you hyung. Also, there's always some kind of deal going on." Youngjae points to the large poster on the display window and Himchan squints at the large hot pink letters indicating it was a buy 3 get 3 free sale.

"You can go with the maknaes if you want, I'll call you when I'm done." Youngjae dives into a bin of panties designed for hybrids with tails and the employees are already familiar with them so they don't stare but the other girls in the store do.

"No... we'll stay with you Youngjae." Yongguk says in a low tone as he glares at the man staring at the bunny hybrid's behind, he meets the fish's gaze and instantly turns to leave.

 

"Junhong what do I wear?!" Youngjae screams at the phone sitting on his bed as he furiously searches through his closet. It was the night of the dinner and although he wasn't exactly looking to impress anyone other than himself, he wanted to make a good impression.

"Wear something comfortable but also you hyung. Don't change your style. Maybe that big pink hoodie we bought in Jeju?" Junhong's voice comes out in a static and Youngjae can tell the younger is climbing a tree, probably because he wanted to.

"White skinny jeans or blue?" Youngjae removes the hoodie from it hook and tosses it on the bed, he then reaches for a white tank top to wear underneath since he wants something between his skin the cotton.

"Blue, also wear your usual fuzzy socks. It's not like you'll be wearing shoes for long anyways, you're neighbours." Junhong laughs and Youngjae begins to get dressed. Thankfully it really is a comfortable outfit that screams him, he could've figured it out on his own but talking to the maknae calmed his nerves.

"Okay Jun I gotta go now, thanks a lot." Youngjae smooths down the fur on his ears that had gotten ruffled when he pulled the hoodie over his head and he picks up his phone.

"No problem hyung! Good luck and tell us all about it tomorrow at Jongup hyung's house." Junhong hangs up and Youngjae pockets his phone, indeed the corgi had invited them all over to do some "studying" the next day, he'd have to tell his mom later.

"Youngjae! We're heading over now!" his mother hollers from downstairs and Youngjae can't help but sigh as he takes one last glance at the window and he rushes down the steps. 

"C'mon, let's go." she smiles and her dimple sits comfortably in her cheek. Youngjae returns the same smile and he steps out first, holding the outer screen door so that his mother can lock the door.

The two make their way across the small strip of grass that seperates the front porches and his mother is the one who rings the doorbell. Youngjae hides his sweaty hands in his hoodie and he hates how nervous he was. The Jung's had been so gracious to him since childhood and he always looked forward to seeing them, but when it came to Daehyun it was a different story.

"Younha! Youngjae, come on in you two!" they're greeted by a grinning cat hybrid with soft wrinkles on her skin, her voice is loud and bright as usual and Youngjae can't help but laugh when he's pulled into a hug.

"Hi auntie, how are you?" he asks as Daehyun's mother hugs him close. Youngjae's mother goes on to greet Daehyun's father who watches the scene with a small smile on his lips.

"I'm doing well, I hope you are too. Oh you poor thing, you're so skinny! I bet your mother isn't feeding you well enough." she says in a playful tone and Younha turns in offense, her tail flickering vigourously.

"Hey! I feed him as well as any other herbivore Hyuna, don't be rude." she goes to tackle her friend and Youngjae steps back before he nods curtly at Daehyun's father who'd always been a little distant with affection.

"Daehyun come down, the Yoo's are here!" Hyuna yells and Youngjae freezes. The sound of footsteps could be heard and he keeps his eyes trained to the floor as the other gets closer.

"Hi auntie, it's been awhile." Daehyun's voice runs right up Youngjae's spine and the bunny hybrid tries not to shake as the cat hybrid brushes past him to hug his mother. 

"It really has been! My, you've gotten so handsome. Youngjae, why don't you spend some time with Daehyun and catch up? You two were so close when you were younger." Younha says and Youngjae finds it really unnecessary.

"I can just help set the table or I can..." Youngjae trails off mid-sentence when he meets Daehyun's eyes. For a moment things go silent and he wants to look away but just like last night, he can't bring himself to.

"Nonsense dear, your mother can help me. Off you go, Daehyun take him up to your room and I'll call you two down later." Hyuna waves them both away and Daehyun takes the lead while Youngjae helplessly follows.

He glances around the house as he climbs the small staircase and he smiles when he notices it hasn't changed much at all. The Jung's often invited them over for dinner but since Younha worked the night shift they often had to refuse.

Daehyun pushes open the door to his room and he waits for Youngjae to enter before he closes the door behind them both. The room is quite bland, there's a closet and a dresser as well as an empty desk and a bed. There were still boxes on the ground and a suitcase to his right.

"I'm still unpacking, don't mind the mess. You can sit on the bed if you'd like." Daehyun says quietly, Youngjae takes a good look at the bed and he can see that it's like a wooden board protruding from under the window sill. Of course it has a mattress as well as a pillow and duvet but it's attached to the window and hovering like a cat bed.

"Will it hold me?" he can't help but ask and Daehyun laughs. Youngjae's eyes widen at the sight of those whisker dimples and crinkly eyes he'd seen so often as a child, Daehyun scratches beneath his choker and gestures to it.

"I promise you it's safe. I sleep there every night but if you're really worried I can hold you." Youngjae flushes at the suggestion and he sits down on the bed slowly, it creaks under his weight but it holds him completely sound.

"So when did you get back?" Youngjae asks as he looks up at Daehyun, there's an odd feeling in his stomach and he knows he won't be comfortable around the other instantly but it was a start.

However, instead of answering his question Daehyun gets down on one knee directly in front of him. He looks into Youngjae's eyes and he gently carresses one of his floppy ears which makes the bunny hybrid flush pink and shiver.

"You haven't changed one bit, even after all of these years." Daehyun whispers and he continues stroking Youngjae's sensitive ear. The bunny hybrid shakes in front of him and he smiles.

"It's been 8 years... we've both changed." Youngjae can't hide the hurt in his voice and he pushes away Daehyun's hand. He knows he's being childish but he has a right to angry right? They were best friends.

"8 years... did you miss me?" Youngjae looks at Daehyun and he can't place the other's expression. He bites his lip and stands up abruptly, without so much as glancing back he leaves the room. Youngjae scoffs and rolls his eyes as he shuts the door behind him and he leans on it with his fists clenched.

"Of course I did asshole..."

 


	4. Just Peachy

Dinner was suffocating to say in the least. There was obvious tension between the two teens and although they were sat across from each other, not once did they make eye contact nor did they say a single word to one another.

Younha glanced at her son before she gently patted his thigh, Youngjae looked up from his bowl and he smiled wryly at her before spooning some spicy radishes into his bowl. The table was obviously divided between the families, there was fish on the Jung's side.

Youngjae munched on his rice and vegetables as he gently stroked his left ear, his mother taps his wrist and he stops, his cheeks flushing at his nervous habit shining through.

"So Younha, how has the hotel business been going?" Hyuna asks with a tight smile since her husband and the teen obviously weren't going to talk. Youngjae glances up at Daehyun and he holds his breath unconsciously.

Time had definitely aged Daehyun gracefully he thought as he looked at the way strong hands held a pair of chopsticks while the other wrapped around the glass bowl. Youngjae nibbles on his bottom lip as he watches the way Daehyun's lips swell a cherry red from all of the pepper paste.

Daehyun's golden complextion hadn't changed, if anything it was deeper, Youngjae wondered if he spent all of his days under the sun. His canines were slightly longer too, as supposed to when they were children.

His fur on his tail and ears were still a starking white and his overall build was quite muscular, he didn't seem toned like Yongguk or Jongup but he did seem his age. Youngjae feels something twisting in his stomach, this person in front of him seemed like such a stranger.

Youngjae was brought out of his voyeuristic stare when Daehyun's dark eyes met his own, the bunny hybrid froze mid-chew he blinked like a deer caught in headlights. Daehyun smirks at him and begins to engage in the conversation while Youngjae sinks lower in his chair.

"Daehyun will be joining school this coming Monday, look out for him will you Youngjae?" Hyuna says to him and Youngjae only looks up when his mother nudges him, he glances between Hyuna and Daehyun and nods.

"Sure, I don't mind. The others will be happy to see him too." Youngjae talks like Daehyun isn't there, he can't bring himself to look at his childhood friend. Hyuna sighs in relief and she smiles at him.

"You're all as close as ever right? I know there's only 2 months of school left, so take care of him for me Youngjae." Hyuna earnestly requests and Youngjae is slightly taken aback by her. Her son was almost 17, he was old enough to take care of himself no?

"I'm sure the boys will welcome him just fine, they really haven't changed much." Younha chuckles and she tries to lighten the sullen atmosphere but Youngjae sees the way Hyuna looks at him and the way Daehyun looks away from his mom.

If only he knew what happened.

 

The next day, Youngjae left the house around 1pm to meet up at Jongup's place. He brought his bag with him because technically they were going to study but then again, they were all in different grades and no doubt Youngjae would just end up projecting to all of them.

He follows the sidewalk until he meets a dirt trail in the middle of a field of grass, turning left Youngjae walks up the dirt road and he makes his way into the next neighbourhood. 

From his house to Jongup's was only about a 15 minute walk, they all lived relatively close except for Junhong and Himchan who were pretty far away. Then again they couldn't easily hang out at their places anyway.

The bunny hybrid approaches a small house with a white picket fence and overgrown bushes, he opens the small gate and closes it behind him before he steps onto the welcome mat and rings the doorbell.

For some reason Youngjae instinctively looked down at the doggy door, it made him laugh whenever he saw it. Not long after, the door opened and Jongup appeared with a puppy like smile on his lips.

"Hey hyung, we're still waiting up for Yongguk hyung." Jongup says as he lets the bunny hybrid into his home, Youngjae raises an eyebrow as he closes the door behind him, balancing as he toes off his shoes.

"Hyung isn't here yet? Since when is he ever late?" he asks no one in particular since he knows Jongup wouldn't have an answer. The two walk through the living room towards the stairwell that lead upstairs and downstairs, they descended and Youngjae could see Himchan and Junhong lounging around on the only two beanbags that Jongup owned.

Jongup's room was basically the basement, he had a lot of space for his bed, beanbags, a TV and game consoles. His room was basically any teenage boys wet dream. 

"Hey Youngjae, took you long enough." Himchan says as he wiggles on the beanbag with a smirk, it wasn't a secret that anytime Jongup invited them over that they'd usually fight over said chairs.

"I woke up late, couldn't sleep last night." Youngjae sighs as he sits down on the couch beside Jongup, he tosses his bag to Junhong who uses his long arms to gently shove it towards all of the other bags, all completely closed.

"Awh what was bothering our poor bunbun?" Himchan cooes at him and Youngjae flips him the finger. The elder cackles in delight and he adjusts his constricted wings before settling into the beans.

"That's probably Yongguk hyung, who wants to help me bring him downstairs?" Jongup scratches behind his ear and the appendage flops around before standing upright once more. 

"Take Junhong, he's the biggest." Youngjae gestures to the chipmunk who'd resorted to lying on his stomach so that he could avoid Jongup's line of sight. However he fails because not a second later Jongup is pulling him up by the tail.

"Okay I know you have a stub as a tail but it really does hurt when you pull it like that." Junhong whimpers and he whacks Jongup's ear before he obediently follows the dog hybrid upstairs.

Youngjae immediately hops onto the bean bag and he snuggles into the already warmed cotton, a satisfied sigh leaves his lips and he gets comfortable in the large bean bag.

Moments later, Yongguk is being carried down on Junhong's back, even though he was quite tall with his tail and such, he still managed to look small while draped over the giant maknae.

"Seriously hyung? I had the beanbag first." Junhong grumbles as he adjusts his grip on Yongguk which was quite difficult since his scales were quite rough and very slimey.

Jongup on the other hand was doing his best to push Yongguk's wheelchair tub down the stairs without having the water slosh over the sides, Yongguk flutters around for a bit and he swallows hard.

"Jongup there's the lid, just pull it out from the side..." Yongguk watches in horror as the wheelchair tub bounces down the last two steps and nearly collides with the wall, water spills everywhere and Jongup groans when he lands a socked foot in the puddle.

"I tell you every time, there's a lid on the side of the tub, It's like a meal tray on a plane seat that's in the armrest or whatever." Yongguk grumples and almost slips out of Junhong's hold on him.

"Why do you have a lid for it anyways?" Himchan asks as Jongup shoves the wheelchair tub with his foot, Yongguk flops back into the water and takes an exaggerated breath while the maknae's complain about the puddle, one about the puddle on the ground and the other for the puddle of water in his clothes.

"To cover it? Keeps the water from evaporating completely when I'm not using it, do you know how much they charge us for the waterbill? You'd think they'd make an exception because we need water to live but nope. Fancy cities are something else smh." Yongguk says as he gets himself comfortable in his tub again.

"Did you just say smh, like s-m-h?" however, Youngjae's attempt at slandering Yongguk's incorrect use of today's "hip" language is interrupted because of Jongup's disgusted wail coming from behind them.

"Ew, you don't change your water? What the heck hyung, that's gross." Jongup then switches from using his hand to wipe the water to using his foot as though it makes it any better.

"It's not like a fish bowl Jongup, I don't poop and do other stuff in there, I don't even sweat so what's the issue." Yongguk rolls his eyes and Junhong returns with a new shirt that he probably stole from Jongup's room.

"How do you even do your business anyways? From what I noticed you never use the bathroom at school." Himchan rubs his chin and narrows his eyes while Yongguk just groans and lolls his head to the side of the tub.

"Let's not talk about how I do my business? It's not like I ask you if you shit while in the sky." Yongguk counters and Himchan sputters in surprise before he attempts to pounce on the fish hybrid, and in that moment Junhong decides to take his beanbag.

"Okay friends, listen up I need some guidance." Youngjae pipes up and Jongup tosses the rag he was using in the storage room before he sits beside Himchan who reluctantly sat on the couch. Youngjae tries to ignore everything that just occured and he tried to remind himself that his friends were indeed reliable and not just a bunch of idiots.

"So last night was the dinner with the Jung's.." Youngjae begins and he starts to recall all of the events of the evening, starting from when he walked in and first saw Daehyun to when he left with his mother after a really odd conversation with Hyuna and awkward staring contests with the cat hybrid.

Of course he chose to leave out the bit where Daehyun caressed his ear and smirked at him because he really didn't need his friends misunderstanding or having the elder boys rushing to protect the maknaes from "vulgar" language.

"I guess we can't really decipher much till we actually talk to him Monday. From what you're telling us though Youngjae, he's definitely a lot more calm and quiet." Himchan says seriously and Youngjae nods.

"When you get close to Daehyun hyung, do you get flustered?" Junhong asks casually as he pulls his tail out from beneath his back, he'd almost forgotten he was laying on it and now it was numb.

"You're not hard to fluster hyung, and Daehyun hyung is a cat so maybe he's just being playful? I mean we fluster you sometimes and it causes very questionable emotions to arise." Jongup shifts his weight and soon enough everyone is staring at hybrid who's slowing growing pink in the cheeks.

"Oh my, are you attracted to Daehyun? I knew the lil shit couldn't have grown up to be ugly." Himchan grumbles and Youngjae's jaw drops. The guys all look at the bunny for a bit but his expression doesn't change and he doesn't even blink.

"Great you broke Youngjae. What the hell Himchan. We're supposed to take things slow." Yongguk grumbles as he flicks some water at the bird hybrid who squawks and shields himself.

"Hey Junhong started it, it's not like we've all forgotten Daehyun's little proposal to Youngjae back in the 2nd grade!" he defends and Youngjae's brain is working like a clockwork. 

Could he possibly be attracted to his childhood friend? He doesn't remember possibly harbouring any feelings for the cat hybrid but then again they'd been too young to know what romantic affection was.

"Okay for now let's just slow down, Youngjae it's normal for you to be a little confused after the return of your first bestfriend who's changed. We'll see him Monday and we can help share the burden of Daehyun's return alright?" Yongguk says in a comforting manner even though he had to clear his throat of phlegm halfway through.

"For someone who always has water in their ears, he's pretty wise." Himchan cackles and Youngjae swears that one day they're going to get clawed by his feet again, it's been a few years since one of them got injured that way.

"Himchan I will slap you silly with my tail if you don't shut up." 

 

Youngjae returns home with more on his mind and not a stroke of homework done, it wasn't like he had any anyways. The maknae's did and the elder's did but no one was in his grade so he simply helped them out where he could.

He sets his bag down by his desk and he sees that Daehyun is lying on his bed, his back is facing Youngjae and his body is curled in a catlike position, his ears twitch and his tail lies on the bedsheet.

"Daehyun?" Youngjae calls out hesitantly, he's afraid to speak above a whisper just in case the cat hybrid was taking an afternoon nap. He leans over his desk which is directly beneath his own window and he sees Daehyun's tail begin to move.

"Youngjae?" the cat hybrid props himself up on one arm and turns slightly to meet the eyes of the bunny hybrid, he uses his fist to rub his eye and Youngjae sees his phone in his other hand.

"Sorry, were you sleeping?" he whispers apologetically, Youngjae begins to feel nervous but Daehyun waves him off nonchalantly before he stretches and his tail straightens out.

"No, I was watching a movie, it was getting pretty boring. What's up?" he sits up and Youngjae can see that he's only wearing a pair of sweats along with a loose tank top, of course he's also wearing his choker.

"Wanna talk? Maybe catch up a little." Youngjae smiles a little and he likes how casual things are between them, it almost feels comfortable again but he knows not to assume so so soon. Daehyun locks his phone and tilts his head,

"Sure why not. Your room or mine?" Daehyun asks and Youngjae stomach flips, that had been the question between them throughout childhood, when they wanted to hang out even after they'd all gone home. Usually it was Daehyun coming to his room, considering Youngjae wasn't as good on his feet.

"Mine." Youngjae says quietly and he moves the things off of his desk so that Daehyun can easily come over, this should be easier than when they were small kids right? They wouldn't need to set a ladder between the two rooms anymore.

Youngjae doesn't stay to watch Daehyun come over, he didn't want to be anymore awkward than he already was so instead he decides to sit down on his round rug whilst leaning comfortably on his bed. 

Moments later Daehyun lands at the window sill and his hair falls over his eyes as he looks over at Youngjae who instantly reaches for a pillow to hold onto. Daehyun carefully gets off of the desk, careful not to knock over Youngjae's lamp or books that he hadn't removed.

Youngjae doesn't miss the way that Daehyun tries not to look around his room, he really wasn't interested in hiding anything about himself so he couldn't careless about his knee socks hanging over the edge of his laundry basket.

He gently patted the spot beside him and he unzipped his hoodie, tossing it on his bed before he fixes his t shirt beneath, he was still wearing what he had worn to Jongup's but even though his jeans were a little constricting he felt like it'd be odd since he invited Daehyun over first without changing.

Daehyun takes a seat beside Youngjae on the floor, a little too close than the bunny hybrid anticipated. He jolts in shock when the other leans in closer and noses at his ear and hair.

"You smell nice." he comments shamelessly and Youngjae gently shoves him away, Daehyun gets the hint and he backs off but he doesn't sit any further. Youngjae strokes his ear and sighs,

"I probably smell like a mixture of fish and the other guys." Youngjae not so subtly jabs at the ocean-like scent Yongguk naturally had and Daehyun shakes his head, he sniffs lightly.

"No... you smell like peaches. Sweet sweet peaches." before Youngjae can retort Daehyun suddenly pulls back and the bunny hybrid catches his gaze, they both silently look up at the vase atop of his dresser. 

"You kept them?" Daehyun all but whispers, there was a certain tone in his voice that Youngjae couldn't place. He looks at the plastic sunflowers that had grown dull in colour since Youngjae used to keep them on his desk and the sunlight had caused it to fade.

"Of course I did, Daehyun... why didn't you ever visit?" Youngjae keeps his eyes low to the ground and he huddles his knees close to his chest, Daehyun didn't reply right away. Youngjae was curious as to what expression he was making but he couldn't bring himself to look.

The silence between the two grows unbearing, so many words wanted to be said yet neither could begin. Youngjae looks at the curtains swaying in the wind and he shivers as the cold makes goosebumps rise on his arms.

"I'm not sure you're ready to know why Youngjae." Daehyun finally breaks the silence and Youngjae frowns, he lifts his head and meets the cat hybrid's guilt ridden eyes. Why?

"It can't be that bad." Youngjae reasons, they're 17 years into this living game and if anything Daehyun was being dramatic. He just wanted a simple response really, so that he could sleep soundly at night.

Youngjae gasps as Daehyun gently pulls him by the wrist, his knees skid across the carpet and he's roughly sat on the cat hybrid's lap. His eyes widen as Daehyun cups his cheek and presses their lips together.

Daehyun closes his eyes and lightly nibbles at Youngjae's bottom lip, the bunny hybrid whimpers as a hot tongue meets his own and his fingers clench into the soft material of the cat hybrid's shirt.

The cat hybrid takes advantage of having Youngjae in his lap as he practically devours him whole, lips sensual and tongue intoxicating as the bunny hybrid shudders and moans in his arms.

Daehyun pulls back and he meets Youngjae's flushed cheeks and lidded eyes, clouded with lust and confusion. He looks like he wants to say so much more but he shakes his head instead.

"You're not ready to know." he says simply and he lets Youngjae out of his lap, the bunny hybrid falls limply onto the floor and Daehyun spares him one last glance before he returns to his own room.


	5. Tempting

_Warning - non consensual touching_

\-----------------------------

 

Sunday was the day that Youngjae dreaded most. Mostly because Sunday meant that the week was coming to an end, signalling the beginning of a new one. It was also a new day and when he was awake, he'd be burdened with his thoughts once more.

Sleep had come sparsely the night before, the memory of heated lips and the bitter aftertaste of a sweet mouth had kept him up till the early hours of the morning. Glassy eyes staring at the dancing curtain as it swayed in the wind, his fingers itching for more.

Possibly it was because he hadn't encountered any real sexual encounters before, but the way that Daehyun had pulled him into his lap was embedded into his skin. His toes curled in his pink socks that bunched around his ankles that were adorned with lace.

Youngjae had awoken a few hours ago at promptly 9:24am, since then he'd just sat in his bed and curled up safely in his duvet. It was now 1:23pm and he was still thinking about yesterday. How was he even supposed to react? Why did Daehyun kiss him? What did he mean when he said that Youngjae wasn't _ready_?

What was he hiding?

"Youngjae, are you awake yet?" his mother called from downstairs, Youngje bolted up from his bed and adjusted his white soffe shorts and his large tshirt before he ran past the window without sparing it a glance.

"Yes momma?" his childhood tendencies slipped and when he appeared with his fur ruffled and his cheeks pink she rolled her eyes, beckoning her son close with a sweet smile.

"I know it's Sunday but you can't sleep all day Youngjae." Younha smoothed the fur on his ears as Youngjae sat down beside her on the couch, she had her tablet on her lap and it was connected to the wireless speaker, filling the home with indie folk music that she loved so much.

"I've just been really tired." he admits and he knows he can't really hide anything from his mom, so he leans on her shoulder and wraps his arms around her waist. His 8 older sisters had doted on him often when he was a child and he was always clingy with his mother so she wasn't surprised.

"What will I do with you my baby bunny?" she laughed in a light melody and Youngjae smiled as his nose twitched, she always smelled of fresh apples and celery, it was odd combination but he loved it. Being with his mom meant he didn't need to think about the kiss with Daehyun.

"Youngjae, I hate to ask you but... could you come work at the hotel for a few hours please?" Younha asks with a sigh, Youngjae plays with her fingers and she knows he's considering it, even though he always helps out.

"For how long?" he asks. Younha didn't ask for help often, maybe once or twice every few months? Youngjae was well aware of how hesitant his mother was with letting him near her work place, it was dangerous for a male bunny hybrid like himself, and not to mention he was only 17 years old.

"Only two hours, Minjae has an appointment she couldn't get out of. She'll be there by 5." she replies. The hotel was open all day but she only came in for work at 4pm, usually till the early hours in the morning but she'd leave early today to drive Youngjae home. Minjae's shift began at 3pm.

"Okay, I'll have to study while behind the counter." Youngjae snuggles into his mother's warmth one last time before he gently pulls away, yawning as he does so. Younha smiles and she ruffles his hair,

"Thank you Youngjae. There's lunch on the stove, let's eat together." Younha stands up and follows Youngjae to the kitchen, she sees the way her son dresses and his overall vibe and she worries. Male bunny hybrids were so rare... she'd have to keep a close watch on him tonight.

 

Youngjae bites the back of his pen as he frowns down at this chemistry problem that they hadn't learned in class yet, it wasn't unusual for him to finish lessons ahead, mainly so that he could get his homework done beforehand.

The other worker behind the counter with him was a college student, her name was Byulyi and she was an octopus hybrid, of course she had her own mobile wheelchair bathtub. But because of this, she was mainly the receptionist.

Business had been quite slow so far, Youngjae wasn't worried though, their hotel never had any troubles before. In a way he was glad because he always feared he'd end up seeing one of his fellow classmates or something.

"A room for two please?" Youngjae perks up from his chemistry textbook and he sees a man staring at him with dark eyes and a bushy beard, he had his arm wrapped around what seemed to be a squirrel hybrid, he didn't look a day older than Youngjae did.

"Just for the night and would you like a regular room or a playroom?" Youngjae shakes his fringe from his eyes and he accesses the computer in order to see what rooms are free at the moment.

"A playroom please, for tonight till tomorrow noon." he hesitates to meet the man's eyes and he politely excuses himself before he goes to Byulyi who had been looking for a key she'd dropped in her bathtub.

"Sorry Byulyi noona, could you book them a playroom? I don't feel comfortable with it." Youngjae admits, the playrooms were a reminder that he was underaged and he shouldn't be working there. Byulyi looks at the customers and gives him a smile,

"Of course Youngjae, come I'll walk you through it." she says with a wink and Youngjae knows she doesn't really mean that, he prods her wheelchair tub across the floor and they stand behind the computer together.

"A playroom for two, tonight till noon." Youngjae clarifies with the man who seems a lot like a lion hybrid and he holds the bunny hybrid's gaze a little too long before he nods. Byulyi gently pulls Youngjae away from the counter,

"Do you mind grabbing me laptop? It's in my bag in the breakroom." she quickly orders him and Youngjae nods before heading off to the back door, his tail twitching as he does so. 

When Youngjae returns with Byulyi's laptop he sees that the pair were now in front of the elevator, from seeing their tails Youngjae can now confirm it was indeed a lion hybrid and a squirrel hybrid.

The lion was not so subtly groping the squirrel's ass in the open and it made Youngjae want to gag, he disliked when people were not cautious of those around them. Youngjae handed the laptop to Byulyi who had her eyes narrowed at the pair.

"I didn't like the way he was looking at you. We should disguise you next time." Byulyi explains and Youngjae smiles at her, he gestures to his large floppy ears and his fluffball of a tail.

"Trying to hide these would be like hiding your tentacles." he jests and she rolls her eyes before lightly hitting his shoulder. Younha walks out from the other elevator and she approaches the reception's desk with anger in her eyes.

"Youngjae, we're going home. Byulyi thank you for telling me, Minjae will be here in about 15 minutes will you be alright on your own?" Younha asks and Youngjae already goes to get his bag and he gathers his books.

"I'll be fine, drive safe. I'll see you some time Youngjae." Byulyi says with a wave and water goes flying everywhere, only now does Youngjae wonder why she's allowed near computers when she's a moving conductor.

"Bye Byulyi noona thank you." and just as he finishes speaking Younha keeps him close to her side as they walk out to the car. He guesses he won't be working there for awhile.

 

As Youngjae expected, Daehyun fit back into the group like a missing puzzle piece. It was almost strange, how not even one of the guys acted as though he was a stranger while Youngjae was more than cautious around the cat hybrid.

"You know Daehyun, I thought you were going to be ugly." Himchan says not so subtly as he pokes the cat hybrid, his eyes were wide with wonder as he examined the younger who was avoiding his prodding fingers.

"I could say the same about you Himchan hyung." Daehyun scoffs as he whacks the bird hybrid's hand away, Himchan squawks and practically jumps on him while the rest of the group follows behind.

They were currently on their way to the main office so that Daehyun could pick up his schedule, Youngjae had volunteered to stay at the very back in order to push Yongguk along with them.

"At least he's not trying to eat me." Yongguk says from within his tub with a pout on his lips, he always felt a little left out since the whole group consisted of land hybrids, but they never made him feel alone at least.

"Speak for yourself." Youngjae mutters beneath his breath and thankfully Yongguk doesn't catch it. However, Daehyun turns to look at him and he freezes when those dark eyes meet his own. The bunny hybrid ducks his head and pushes Yongguk forward,

"What're you laughing about hyung?" Jongup's voice is full of curiosity and Youngjae curses at himself mentally for being so weak. A kiss between friends was something normal right?

"It's nothing Jongup-ah, oi Youngjae what's your schedule like?" Daehyun calls out to him and Youngjae looks up in surprise, he stares for a good few minutes before a wet hand slaps his back.

"He has Physics first, then Bio, Chem and Functions. I'm sure you have more fun courses than he does." Junhong states and Youngjae frowns, he only chose to do all the sciences because he wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to do in the future.

"Functions, Phys Ed, Chem and Philosophy." Daehyun reads and he sends a smirk to Youngjae upon realizing they shared a class. The bird hybrid sends them both a glance,

"Looks like you have Youngjae to copy off of in Chem and Math, aren't you lucky." he cackles loudly and Youngjae rolls his eyes as they make their way towards Daehyun's new locker.

"Looks like I'll be spending a lot of time at your house Youngjae, you know, to catch up." Daehyun flashes a playful smile and his tail whips back and forth, Youngjae hides himself behind Yongguk's bathtub and he secretly hopes Daehyun will get his tail caught in a door.

Too bad his hopes aren't answered because he accidentally drives Yongguk into a pole.

 

As Youngjae rounds the school gates in an effort to make it home first, his head is a mess. All day he'd unconsciously looked at the cat hybrid's lips and it was even worse when Daehyun caught his gaze.

He'd chosen to leave early as soon as the bell rang, he knew that Himchan would invite them all out to hang out in order to celebrate Daehyun's return and he also knew the bird hybrid would hurt him if he refused so he decided to escape while he could.

The last thing he needed was to be around Daehyun and his not so subtle gazes and lip bites. Youngjae shakes his head and he exits the school with a sigh of relief. As he's walking down the sidewalk someone grabs him roughly by the wrist and drags him into the space between the school gate and the house next door.

Youngjae gasps in pain as he's harshly trapped against the wall, a large body wedging itself in his path. He struggles and wriggles but the air is still returning to his lungs and his body is shaking in fear. His bag is ripped from his shoulders and thrown to the ground, he prays his laptop is okay.

The bunny hybrid looks upward and his eyes widen in shock when he sees the same dark eyes from yesterday, the man smells of aftershave and expensive cologne, and his tail is swishing behind him.

"Hello little bunny." the lion hybrid says with a grin, Youngjae instantly kicks upward but he's blocked by the man's strong thighs. He punches at the man's chest and cries a loud for someone to hear him but a thick hand covers his mouth.

"I've been wanting you for months. The way you saunter around with that little ass of yours, I just want to bite your tail and hear you whine." the lion hybrid breathes heavily and he forces Youngjae to turn around, the bunny hybrid helplessly rests against the brick wall.

But Youngjae doesn't stop struggling, he screams and he thrashes in an attempt at freedom. The lion hybrid is too strong, he feels as though he's caught between two brick walls, neither budging in the slightest bit.

Youngjae shrieks when he feels a hardened bulge on his back side and tears come spilling down his cheeks, he writhes in terror and loosens his legs so that he falls to the ground but the hybrid holds him steady.

"I love playing with my food, this hunt is coming to an end bunny." the lion hybrid licks a long his ear and Youngjae screams, he knocks his head against the wall as he tries to escape.

"Mr. Jung, he's over here!" Youngjae perks up at the sound of Junhong's voice and he looks at the sidewalk where Junhong and Jongup are standing, the lion hybrid tries to drag him away but Daehyun appears and he doesn't hesitate to run towards them.

"Let him go! Fuck, Himchan hyung get Mr. Bang as well!" Daehyun yells as he takes hold of Youngjae's hand, the bunny hybrid squeals as his torso is pulled back and he desperately holds on.

"I will be back bunny. The hunt isn't over." the lion hybrid swears and he lets go, Youngjae falls limply into Daehyun's arms and his body jolts and shakes as he cries. Daehyun holds him securely and he glares at the man running away,

"The next time I see you, we'll call the police!" he hisses and Youngjae whimpers as he instantly nuzzles into Daehyun's chest, his arms holding onto the cat hybrid tightly. The others approach them carefully and they keep some distance since the pathway is so narrow,

"Hey, let's pull him out to the sidewalk so he can get some more air." Himchan says gently and Daehyun helps Youngjae stand, but upon seeing how much the bunny hybrid's legs shake he lifts him into his arms instead.

However, Youngjae yelps when his tail is touched and he cowers under Daehyun's concerned gaze. Nonetheless, the cat hybrid doesn't let go of him, he carries him out to the sidewalk and Youngjae sits down against the wall.

"Fuck." Youngjae pants as he wipes his tears, he's not ashamed to cry in front of his friends, he'd never been. He'd always been the sensitive type and his bunny genes made him a little jumpier than others.

"Where's Yongguk hyung?" Daehyun asks as he stays right beside Youngjae, he simply breathes in and out and the bunny hybrid naturally follows his pattern to his delight. Junhong and Jongup work together in order to fill Youngjae's water bottle with their own water and they hand it to him.

"He's coming with his car... although I'm pretty sure we'll get in trouble if we deflood it here." Jongup explains and within a few minutes of breathing and drinking water, Youngjae was finally calming down.

"I won't ask what he did to you, but you're okay right Youngjae? Your clothes are on properly..." Himchan hands Youngjae his bag and the bunny hybrid sniffles and nods, his throat heavy.

"We should report to the school about a lion hybrid hanging around though. If he knows where Youngjae goes to school..." Junhong says quietly and at that moment Yongguk pulls up with his car,

"I saw him for the first time yesterday... was working a few hours at my mom's hotel and he came in with a squirrel hybrid." Youngjae blurts and he holds his knees close to his chest, he doesn't care about customer confidentiality, he cares about feeling violated.

"Hey, we'll keep you safe alright Youngjae? Daehyun, mind walking him to and from school? You live next to each other anyways." Yongguk suggests as soon as Himchan briefs him on the situation. He felt a little useless but he was confined to the water.

"Wait-"

"I will." Daehyun cuts off Youngjae's protest and the cat hybrid doesn't look down at him. Youngjae finds himself being pulled into Daehyun's arms once more but the cat hybrid hesitates this time,

"I won't be able to carry you in the arms the whole way home, can you get on my back Youngjae?" Daehyun asks cautiously and the bunny hybrid chews the inside of his cheek as he uses the walls support to stand.

"Yeah... thank you Daehyun." Youngjae's voice is quiet as his knees wobble and he hops onto Daehyun's broad back, his arms winding around the male's neck as Daehyun gets in a comfortable position.

"Get home safely alright? If he shows up again, call the police." Yongguk reminds them and they nod, he then waits for Himchan to release his wings from their binds and for Daehyun and the maknaes to start walking before he drives away.

The walk home is quite silent and Youngjae is thankful for that, it wasn't unusual for things to be like this between him and Daehyun after all. As they're on the way home Youngjae notes that Daehyun has strayed off of the sidewalk.

"Where are we going?" he whispers and his arms unconsciously tighten around Daehyun's neck as he holds himself closer. They both cross the field and Youngjae sees a familiar park that they used to play at as children.

"We'll rest here for a bit, you're still a little shaken." Youngjae only nods at this point, feeling too exhausted to even argue. He doesn't even blink when Daehyun sits them down on a bench, positioning him so that he's being cradled like a baby.

Daehyun then proceeds to stroke his ears, he begins with the patch of ruffled fur from the lion hybrid's tongue and Youngjae nuzzles into his touch. He lets out the breath he was holding and he tries to keep calm.

"Stay by my side okay Youngjae? Don't stray too far." Daehyun's voice mingles with the wind and Youngjae shivers, he grips the cat hybrid's uniform pants and he stares at the swings swaying on their own.

"You left me first remember?" he doesn't mean to sound spiteful, but at the same time maybe he did. Daehyun had done nothing but cause him confusion since he returned, Youngjae doesn't know what to think anymore.

"But I'm here now. And I'm here to stay." he reasons and Youngjae turns his head as Daehyun doesn't cease stroking his ears, he looks deep into the other's dark eyes and he shakes his head. Daehyun presses their foreheads together,

"I promise."

 


	6. Puree

In the middle of the night Youngjae wakes from an erotic dream with lidded eyes and sweaty thighs. He whimpers and rubs them together in hopes of relieving some of the heat pooled between his legs but he fails miserably.

As according to the stereotypes, bunny hybrids were usually very horny. Youngjae was better than most, he would be rich if he got a coin for every time he found a female bunny hybrid doing something frisky at school but he was still a subject to his animalistic nature.

He'd dreamt of strong arms holding him and stroking his ears, his face burned at the thought of possibly dreaming about Daehyun like so, but he could still feel the cat hybrid holding him so dearly and he wanted more.

Youngjae sat up in a hurry, his lips pouty and his hips already moving for some kind of friction. His large white t shirt hung loosely on his frame, showing his collar bone as he nestled his fluffy body pillow between his plush thighs.

The bunny hybrid moaned loudly as he rubbed his clothed member against the cushion, the fabric could be felt against his cock in their thin panties and he positioned himself better, letting his feet find purchase on the bed before he rutted even harder.

In his pleasured state he could only think about Daehyun, the cat hybrid had grown into the very personification of lust, from his dark eyes to his plump lips. He could still feel them against his own, and he so desperately wanted to feel them again.

He reached downward and released his dick and balls from the panties, the underwear pushed them up significantly and the bunny hybrid resorted to rubbing his hole against his pillow instead.

The bunny hybrid wished that Daehyun could be underneath him, moaning as he grabbed handfuls of his ass, thrusting up against him as he grinded for his own pleasure. 

Youngjae fisted his cock that was barely three inches with vigour as he reached closer and closer to his release. He practically hopped up and down on the pillow, throwing his head back as his eyes closed.

"Daehyun!" he shuddered as ropes of semen painted his hand and t shirt, Youngjae moaned as he rode out his orgasm and he almost fell forward from the intensity of it all. His eyes opened wide when he realized what he'd done and he jumped off his pillow, his knees buckling when he stood on the carpet.

He'd just touched himself to the image of his childhood friend. His childhood friend that was sleeping just next door. Youngjae shook his head and he assured himself with the fact that Daehyun was the only one he'd had any physical contact with as of late and that the cat hybrid was just a random thought in order to bring off his horny mind.

Youngjae nodded at his explanation and determined it was exactly that. He removed his soiled t shirt and threw it into the laundry basket, it fell ungracefully to the ground instead but he couldn't be bothered so he left it there.

He then reached for his wet wipes sitting inside his bedside table's top drawer and proceeded to wipe himself clean of his semen, Youngjae tucked his sensitive member back into his white panties and he pulled up his knee socks since they were slipping.

He looked down at his nipples and sighed, he'd have to remember to rub them next time he wanted to get off. He'd gotten them pierced quite awhile ago and the bars shone brightly in the moonlit room, Youngjae hadn't gotten the chance to experiment with them just yet.

The bunny hybrid glanced at the window and he cautiously creeped towards it, he peeked outside and noticed that Daehyun was sleeping on his bed soundly but this time he was facing Youngjae's room. 

Youngjae sighed in relief and he wondered if he should close his window at night from now on, because like him Daehyun kept it open as well and anything could happen... or anything could be heard.

"Daehyun?" he whispered quietly and although the cat hybrid's ears twitched, nothing happened. Youngjae smiled wryly and he tried not to let his eyes linger on Daehyun's handsome features for too long.

After a stretch and a yawn he put on another t shirt and threw his pillow case at the laundry basket before he went back to sleep.

 

The next morning Youngjae hears rustling in the kitchen, with bleary eyes he gets out of bed and leaves his room before he heads downstairs. He walks with hesitance, his mind awake and alert with a slight worry that the lion hybrid will be standing in his home.

But to his relief he sees a pair of straight grey ears atop a mop of salt and pepper hair. The man lifts his head and looks at his son with a kind smile, he pushes up his glasses and Youngjae runs to him.

"Welcome home dad!" he says in delight as he hugs his father who's much taller than he is. Seungho smiles as he wraps his arms around his youngest son, he'd managed to visit some of his daughters while on his trip but he had always been closest to Youngjae.

"Good morning Youngjae, did you just wake up? Don't you have school at 8:20?" Youngjae glances at the clock that reads 7:47 and he looks back at his father with a raised eyebrow. 

"I'll make it in time, I'm going to go wash up and put on my uniform. Is mom still sleeping?" Seungho smiles as he sees his son dash up the stairs and into the washroom before shutting the door behind him.

He spots the fur comb sitting on the counter and he grabs it before heading up the stairs, he lightly knocks on the door and Youngjae opens it with the tap still running. Seungho hands his son the comb and the teen smiles,

"Yes your mom is still sleeping. I'll make breakfast so hurry on down or you'll be late." he shakes his head when the teen shushing him off and closes the door gently. 

Seungho heads down towards the kitchen and he prepares a simple breakfast of bagels and jam, it was something Youngjae never got sick of and he didn't have time to make anything else.

It took only ten minutes before his youngest and only son was bouncing down the stairs, clad in his school uniform with his hair and ears nicely brushed. Youngjae took a seat at the counter and thanked his father quietly before he nibbled on the toasted bagels.

"So Youngjae, how are things?" he'd been gone for about three weeks and he wanted to get his fill on what his teenage son would tell him, Youngjae was an honest kid so he didn't worry too much.

However the way Youngjae's expression shifted was not what he expected. Suddenly the teenager looked stripped away of his smiles, his eyes were large and he seemed afraid, swallowing hard at something he seemed to recall that he'd been trying to forget. Seungho knew that look all too well.

"Daehyun's back, back next door." he said instead and the elder bunny hybrid hid his want to frown. He didn't want to make his son uncomfortable though and he decided to play along, he'd let Youngjae come to him when he was ready.

"Yes your mother told me. You seem a little sad to have your best friend back, I thought someone tried to eat Yongguk again." Seungho chuckled as he sipped on his apple tea. Youngjae broke into a small smile and that was enough to make his father's heart warm,

"We're not best friends anymore dad, things change you know. Not in a bad way but eight years without contact does things to a friendship. And nope no one's tried to eat Yongguk hyung again just yet." he laughs heartily when he delivers the heavy words and Seungho nods in agreement.

"Well dad, I should get going for school now, or I'll be late." he rolls his eyes at the last bit and Seungho knocks him on the head for mocking him, the teen grins happily and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder before he slips on his shoes.

"Have a good day son." Youngjae gives him a wave and he closes the door behind him, leaving Seungho alone with worries he'd have to share with Younha later. 

 

"Good morning." Youngjae lifts his head after he steps off of the front steps and he sees Daehyun waiting for him at the sidewalk. He approaches the cat hybrid with a small wave,

"Good morning." he replies and they begin to walk silently towards the school. When Youngjae was alone with Daehyun his mind was always a mess. He's reminded of the reality that the lion hybrid had almost kidnapped him yesterday and he's reminded of the sudden distance between him and Daehyun.

He honestly wished they could be comfortable around each other once more, they'd been like brothers but it seemed as though Daehyun didn't want things to return to how they were. Youngjae didn't even know if they could.

"Are you sure you're okay to be returning to school so soon? You could've taken the day off." Daehyun's voice breaks the silence and Youngjae looks at him, they're heights were pretty similar although Daehyun was about two inches taller.

"I'm just trying not to think about it. I can't afford to miss any school work when the semester is almost over." he shakes his head with his explanation and Daehyun purses his lips.

"We'll keep a look out. Don't go off on your own." Daehyun whispers and Youngjae bites the inside of his cheek. How long would this have to last exactly? He wasn't against having his friends look out for him, he appreciated it but at the same time how long would he have to look over his shoulder?

"We should've called the police after it happened." Youngjae mumbles as they turn the corner and Daehyun grasps his arm, pulling him close when a cycler gets too close to the sidewalk.

"You said that the first time you saw him was at your mom's hotel right? Wouldn't there be a problem with you being underaged while working there?" Daehyun asks and he does let go of Youngjae as they continue their way towards the school gates.

"That is true... but then what do we do?" he sighs and he unconsciously leans into Daehyun's subtle hold, the cat hybrid makes him feel safe, that would never change. 

"We'll have to confide in the adults if that happens." the rough timbre of the other's voice runs through his chest and into Youngjae's skin, the bunny hybrid glances up at his childhood friend and his eyes widen when he sees that Daehyun is looking down at him. 

"H-he said that he's been wanting me for months. I've never seen him before, could he be watching me right now?" Youngjae shivers and wraps his arms around himself, Daehyun leans in closer,

"Hey, I'm with you okay? I don't what to say but... try not to think about it Youngjae." he sounds troubled for once and Youngjae appreciates the effort, it's comforting to know that Daehyun wasn't completely gone.

"We'll be late... come on." Daehyun smiles reassuringly as he takes Youngjae's hand, leading him down the sidewalk and through the gates. From the corner of his eye he can see people looking at them but he's only focused on Daehyun's backside.

"Youngjae, hey, I thought you would take the day off." Himchan says as soon as they appear and thankfully none of the guys say anything about their intertwined fingers that part when the bird hybrid pulls the smaller of the two into a hug.

"It's more reassuring to be around you guys. I don't want to be alone." Youngjae answers honestly and Daehyun flinches at the difference in responses, he suddenly feels so distant.

"Well it'll be like any other day in this hell hole. Youngjae come push me to the elevator, these shits are too lazy." Yongguk flicks water at the maknaes who hop out of the way and Youngjae laughs.

"You know I've always got your back hyung." he says as they begin making their way through the halls, walking in pairs so that they don't completely block it off. Although Himchan doesn't hide his sneers to those groups of people who take up 3/4's of the hallway.

"And we've always got yours. That hasn't changed." Yongguk's words are earnest and he looks right into Youngjae's eyes, the bunny hybrid feels his heart melt and he smiles sincerely.

"Thank you hyung. Everyone." he keeps his eyes low and he tries not to cry, he feels so emotional lately and his friends being so supportive wasn't helping. He feels a hand on his back and he jumps only to see Jongup smiling at him.

"The sooner we get to class the sooner we get to eat lunch so let's go guys." Junhong huffs as he strides forward and Daehyun agrees with him. Youngjae can see that they're trying to act natural but he also notices the way they look around warily, especially Yongguk since he's the least mobile.

Youngjae appreciates it. So much.

 

"Well that wasn't too bad." Youngjae breathes as he and Daehyun part with the others in front of the school. Himchan kicks off of the ground and Yongguk goes to his car while the maknaes hang back for their dance club activities.

"It wasn't until Jongup fell into Yongguk hyung's tub." Daehyun laughs as they walk together and Youngjae bursts into a flurry of giggles and he can barely walk straight when he remembers what happened at lunch.

"And on Saturday Jongup was complaining about how Yongguk hyung doesn't change his water, did you see his face?" Youngjae jumps as he laughs and he whacks Daehyun on the arm, the cat hybrid only laughs harder.

"Then he saw that Junhong was laughing so hard so he pulled him into the tub too, and all you hear is, "Yongguk hyung why are you so slimey?!"" the two friends laugh heartily and they almost forget that they're in the quiet heart of the neighbourhood.

Youngjae meets Daehyun's eyes and the laughter dies down but their smiles remain. The bunny hybrid glances at the cat hybrid's lips before he looks down at the ground, his memories from last night are vivid and he doesn't want to make things awkward when it was finally relaxed.

His fingers twitch with the urge to hold Daehyun's hand like this morning but he decides not to, they were getting closer to home anyhow. Youngjae continues walking when Daehyun turns into his home and the two look at each other as they stand in front of their doors.

"I'll see you tomorrow Youngjae." Daehyun says and Youngjae nods with a wave before he enters his home with a smile. The bunny hybrid is met with his parents sitting at the dining room table with tea steaming in their mugs and freshly baked oatmeal cookies on a plate between them.

"Welcome home Youngjae, how was school?" Younha asks with a bright smile and she stands to put some of the cookies from the tray onto a plate for their son, Seungho watches as the teen removes his shoes and bounces towards them.

"It was fine, Jongup and Junhong fell into Yongguk hyung's tub today." he laughs and giggles at the seemingly funny memory and his parents laugh along since Youngjae's laughs are so contagious, but when he gets closer their expressions change.

"What is it?" he scrunches his nose in confusion and Younha hands her son a plate of cookies that he takes with a small thanks. Their noses twitch as they sniff and lean in to the teen,

"You smell like someone Youngjae." Seungho frowns since he doesn't recognize the scent, not that he would anyways. The smell is deep like melted chocolate and bitter like coffee.

"You smell like Daehyun." Younha's eyes widen in realization and Youngjae sniffs himself his own eyes mirroring his mother's when he smells the others strong scent which mixes with his own.

"I was with him just now and I was with him throughout the day." Youngjae says with hopes that it'll explain why the cat hybrid's scent is embedded into his school uniform but Seungho shakes his head.

"It's not faint Youngjae, it's like he's been scenting you." his father says and Youngjae's jaw clenches. He remembers Daehyun holding him close on the sidewalk this morning, the cat hybrid had leaned close to his neck although he didn't notice at the time.

"... I'll talk to him about it." Youngjae mumbles before he heads upstairs, not sparing another glance to his parents. Scenting was not something to be taken lightly, it was usually only done with couples who wanted to mark their territory.

"Daehyun?" Youngjae calls out as soon as he enters his room, making sure the door is locked behind him before he places the plate of cookies onto his desk and enters the view of the window.

"Hey, what's up?" Daehyun asks casually as he sits cross legged on his bed, he'd already taken off his uniform and changed into a casual outfit of a t shirt and loose shorts, his choker was still clad around his neck.

"Have you been scenting me?" Youngjae narrows his eyes and he sees no need to beat around the bush when the problem was right there in front of them. Daehyun tenses and he swallows hard, as though he's been caught.

"My parents said they could smell you on me. Tell me why?" the cat hybrid sits up straight and he looks at the bunny hybrid without breaking eye contact, it makes Youngjae nervous, the other's stare was so strong.

"Move aside Youngjae." the cat hybrid says instead and Youngjae blinks in confusion before he sees Daehyun getting into a pouncing position, he moves from the window and seconds later the other is jumping into his room.

Youngjae doesn't have a chance to process what had happened when he gets pushed up against the closet by Daehyun, knees trapped and faces close. The other looks down at him with a dark gaze.

"You're not aware of how good you smell are you? So fresh, so sweet." Daehyun speaks lowly as he inhales at the crook of the Youngjae's neck, the bunny hybrid shivers and his hands are planted against Daehyun's chest.

"If I cover your scent with mine it'll ward off predators. You belong to someone else." Youngjae bites his lip and flinches when the cat hybrid pecks them, the contact is light but it makes his insides burn.

"But I don't belong to anyone." he reasons with a muddled mind, Daehyun's hands feel so good holding him like this and his cheeks burn red at last night's fantasies. 

"I'm lending my scent to protect you Youngjae." plush lips dance on the skin of his neck and he keens to the touch, gasping when Daehyun's tail wraps around his thigh in a posessive manner.

"Why? Daehyun scenting is serious, what if you get a girlfriend or boyfriend?" Youngjae gently pushes Daehyun away, not far enough to lose his warmth but just enough so that he could attempt to think straight.

"I told you, stay by my side." but _what does that mean_? Rough hands hold his face and pull him into a deeper kiss, no tongue but just a mesh of lips, conveying words that he couldn't understand.

"Okay."


	7. Nectar

Once again the night haunts him with tired eyes and an active mind. He feels exhaustion creeping in his bones and he only feels more irritated when he can't bring himself to sleep. He sighs and lies on his back, draping his arm over his stomach while the other lays underneath his pillow.

"Youngjae, are you still awake?" Daehyun's soft voice carries like music through the night air and the bunny hybrid licks his lips at the sound. The cat hybrid's voice sounds so sweet in his ears, the sound resonates and pleases him to no end.

"Yeah, what's up?" he replies before he positions himself so that he's facing the window's direction, although all he can see is the subtle glow from the clouded moon. He smushes his cheek against his pillow and nestles the body pillow between his thighs.

"You know, about the scenting..." Daehyun sounds insecure, his tone shakes and Youngjae can't understand why. However at the mention of the act he can't help but sniff his own collar, shuddering at how much he loves Daehyun's rich scent mingling with his own.

"What about it?" he whispers and wonders whether the cat hybrid even heard him, then again the other's innate senses were much stronger than his own. Cats smelt and heard much better than rabbits did anyhow, at least he thought so.

"If it makes you uncomfortable or uneasy in any way then I'll stop. I wouldn't want to force you into anything." Youngjae bites his lower lip and he lies on his stomach, subtly rutting into the cushion between his legs. He hates that he's like this, he couldn't control his hormones when it came to the cat hybrid.

"I like your scent." time seems to stand still and Youngjae covers his mouth in alarm of his own words, his breaths are quick and light as he stares at the curtains with wide eyes and he prays that Daehyun didn't hear him.

"What do you like about it?" is the response that comes instead and Youngjae unconsciously takes another deep whiff of Daehyun's scent. He really like how it mixed with his, it made him feel held, loved, protected, possibly this was why scenting was only for significant others.

"It makes me feel safe and warm." Youngjae's eyes flutter closed as he sneakily lets his hand inch past the waist band of his briefs, unlike most night he was dressed in a hoodie and briefs tonight, as supposed to his usual panties, t shirt and socks.

"I've been told before that I smell like soil and rain." the bunny hybrid grasps his member with a muffled groan, his sleeve pressed tightly against his mouth to keeo the other from hearing any sounds. He fists his small member harshly, anger burning as he thinks of others who have smelt Daehyun's scent.

"No, you smell like chocolate and coffee." Youngjae says between uneven breaths and he writhes in pleasure when Daehyun's lowly chuckles, his hips jolt in the air and his thighs shake.

"Really? Peaches and Chocolate hmm." the bunny hybrid is so lost in his own pleasure that he fails to hear how raspy Daehyun's voice is, Youngjae thumbs his slit and his eyes rolls back in euphoria.

"People told me I smelt like daisies." he can swear he hears Daehyun growl under his breath, was that a spark of jealously he feels? Youngjae spreads his legs further and he squeezes his balls, he smears his precum there before wrapping his hand around his hard member once more.

"No, daisies smell strong and sickening. You smell sweet and fresh, absolutely delicious." Daehyun purrs and the sound goes right down his spine, his heart shakes and shudders and he arches his back, accidentally squishing his tail.

"Daehyun!" he moans loudly into his sleeve and stains his hoodie with small ropes of release. Youngjae pants heavily as he tries to calm himself down and his ears perk up in shock when he remembers the cat hybrid next door.

He slowly removes his hand from his soft cock and hesitantly stands, he needs to use the washroom but he had to go past the window to do so. The air has grown heavily still and Youngjae swallows hard fixing his briefs as he hesitantly enters the cat hybrid's view.

Daehyun is sitting on his bed and he's facing the window, his eyes are glowing a soft amber and Youngjae can see that his pupils are slightly oval shaped but they return to normal after a few moments.

The cat hybrid has the bottom of his t shirt between his teeth and streaks of white are painting his faint abs, filling his navel. Youngjae's hole clenches at the sight and he wants to run but once again he's prey in Daehyun's presence.

With a crook of his finger he releases his t shirt and flashes a dangerous smirk. Youngjae obediently follows and he leans out of his window with his hands holding the sill tightly, Daehyun does the same and they're faces are merely centimetres away.

"Such a naughty bunny." Daehyun whispers and licks Youngjae's upper lip before he nuzzles into the bunny hybrids neck and he pulls away suddenly. Youngjae blinks at him with unfocused eyes and Daehyun suckles one of his stained fingers into his mouth, grinning when the bunny hybrid scurries away.

 

Needless to say Youngjae doesn't sleep much that night. He wakes within 2 hours and the morning sun is sitting behind the clouds, mocking him as it begins to rise, shielding his desk in it's blinding light.

It's only 6 in the morning and he has no reason to get ready just yet so he gets out of bed and sits at his desk. Daehyun's bed is empty and Youngjae wonders where he's gone to so early in the morning.

He shakes his head and puts last night as well as the cat hybrid himself in the back of his mind as he begins to review his notes for next weeks unit test in Biology and Physics as well as tomorrow's Functions. At least he had Chemistry in between to wind down between tests.

Getting lost in his review he almost didn't hear Daehyun's door open, but he definitely notices when the cat hybrid comes into view. He only has a towel tied loosely around his hips and his hair is wet, so it was clear that he just finished taking a shower but Youngjae was surprised to see the cat hybrid's choker on.

"Good morning." Daehyun greets as he turns and goes to his closet, Youngjae nibbles on the back of his pen and abruptly stops when he remembers all the pens he's destroyed because of that habit.

"Morning." he mumbles in return and he can't help but get all hot and bothered over the toned muscles on Daehyun's back, as well as the peek of his butt since his tail lifted the towel in all the right ways. Youngjae shakes his head to snap himself out of his fantasies and he harshly reminds himself that Daehyun was his childhood friend.

"Studying? We have a Functions test tomorrow right?" Daehyun asks with his back still turned and he discretely slips on a pair of boxers, using the towel to messily dry his hair before he tosses it over his chair in front of the desk near the wall.

"I have it first period, want me to share anything with you Youngjae?" he throws on a pair of joggers and a loose tank before he sits on his bed, cheekily looking at the less than amused bunny hybrid.

"Nice try Daehyun but Mr. Park has different versions of the test." Youngjae rolls his eyes and tries to go back to his studies but Daehyun is obviously staring at him between obviously calculated glances at his phone.

"How are your studies? Are you catching up alright?" he asks quietly and Daehyun's ears twitch on his head as he thinks, Youngjae always envied the cat's gleaming white fur, but as he grew older he began to love his own caramel shade.

"My studies are fine, I've already learned these topics. My other school did the subjects in a different order." Daehyun explains and he lies down on his stomach with his tail swishing playfully above him.

"Which school did you used to go to?" Youngjae asks and he wants to know so much more. Daehyun had moved to their home country of South Korea a long time ago and now that he was back there was so much he was curious about. 

"Just a small school in Busan. My grandparents mainly farmed." Daehyun replies and it's clear that he doesn't want to elaborate to Youngjae's disappointment. He knows that Daehyun is holding up a front and he doesn't know why.

"Oh about your choker, you always have it on, is it a good luck charm?" he attempts to change the subject but judging by the way Daehyun's tail stops moving he's hit another wall in the other's heart.

"That is a secret. You're curious this morning aren't you?" Daehyun laughs lowly and he shakes his head as he gets up from his bed, he leaves the room and Youngjae is left on his own with an odd feeling in his stomach.

"I wouldn't have to be so curious if you weren't so damned confusing." he mutters and begins packing up his things before he shoves them into his school bag, making sure he isn't missing any notebooks or textbooks.

Youngjae leaves his room and he hurries into the washroom to wash his face and take a shower. He stood directly underneath the shower head for once and winced at how the water pelted his sensitive ears.

He delicately washes his hair and fur before he lathers his body in "ocean" scented body wash, it mainly smelt like cologne to him but he liked it. It didn't stand out much since his natural scent was so sweet after all.

Once Youngjae is done and slightly dry, he returns to his room in the same fashion Daehyun had been in just minutes before. But unlike the cat hybrid, Youngjae checks to see whether the coast is clear before he begins to dress himself.

The school uniform feels a little tacky on his damp skin but he endures it since he doesn't feel like getting dressed later on. He grabs his school bag and swings it over his shoulder before heading downstairs where he hears music playing.

He settles his bag down near the front before he sits beside his mother at the kitchen island, she's currently reading the newspaper and sipping honey tea while his father makes breakfast.

"Morning Youngjae, how did you sleep last night?" Younha says with a knowing smile and Youngjae really hopes that she hadn't heard anything. He shrugs and thankfully accepts the plate of toast, apricot jam and grapes.

"We're going to be having dinner with the Jung's tonight, this time at our place. Since daddy missed them last time." Younha informs him and Youngjae swallows hard, coughing since he didn't finish chewing properly.

"We always do a dinner with them after my business trips, what's got you so surprised Youngjae?" Seungho asks with a laugh and Youngjae returns the sound but with a nervous lining.

"I guess I wasn't expecting to have dinner again so soon." he answers honestly and his parents brush it off. Youngjae quickly finishes his food and puts the plate in the sink before he grabs his bag.

"Heading off to school so early son?" Seungho raises an eyebrow as he looks at the clock, seeing how it's only 7:13AM. Youngjae gives his dad a pat on the back and his mom a hug before he toes on his shoes.

"I have two tests tomorrow, I'll have to get some extra studying in today since we're having dinner with the Jung's. See you!" he waves hastefully and practically runs out of the house. Daehyun is waiting for him by the front gate and Youngjae intertwines their fingers.

"Hey, ready to go?" Daehyun looks down at their hands and Youngjae follows his gaze, he realizes what he's done and lets go like a hot potato. The bunny hybrid flushes a pretty pink and his tail quivers behind him.

"S-sorry I don't know why I did that." he explains himself and Daehyun doesn't say anything. He simply gives him a reassuring smile and walks ahead, slowly enough so that Youngjae can catch up to him.

"So... our families are having dinner again." Daehyun brings up the topic and Youngjae nods, he tries to read through the other's facial expression but he can't. They've returned to how they were when the cat hybrid came back and he doesn't like it.

"My dad always liked you, so I don't think it'll be much different." Youngjae links their fingers together once more and ignores the frantic beating of his heart when he does. He holds his breath and sighs in utter relief when Daehyun squeezes his hand back lightly.

"I'm not worried about that." they round the gate and enter the school grounds, ignoring the looks coming from everyone around them. Before Youngjae can clarify what he's worried about however, Daehyun is letting go of his hand and greeting Jongup and Himchan.

 

Youngjae sits in his room with Daehyun's scent fresh on his skin. The smell is so addicting and it's etched into him, causing every breath to remind him of the cat hybrid next door.

He decides to wear a simple pair of blue jeans and a yellow crew neck sweater this time, keeping it simple and comfortable for his own home. The walk home with Daehyun earlier had been quiet and a little tense especially when the cat hybrid lightly kissed his jaw and scented him.

The scenting seemed to be doing something at least, his peers at school no longer sneered at him when he walked by, they simply ignored him now and he was just thankful the other bunny hybrids were minding their business.

"Youngjae, come downstairs please!" the teen rises from his bed and he looks at Daehyun's open window and messy bed when he passes by, they hadn't shared a word since they came home. 

Once he steps down the stairs he sees his mother hugging Hyuna with a pie balancing in one hand, Seungho is shaking hands with Hyunseung and they hug with one arm. Youngjae approaches and bows at the two while Daehyun comes in behind them.

"Daehyun, you've grown." Seungho holds out a hand for the teen to shake and he complies with a small smile. Youngjae watches the scene with curiosity and he flinches when his father glances at him.

"So would you like to tell me why you've been scenting my son?"

 


	8. Caramelized

The question lingers in the air and crawls uncomfortably beneath Daehyun's skin. He'd grown up with Seungho watching him as a child and it didn't feel right to lie to the man, it'd be like lying to his own father.

Youngjae on the other hand had gone still, his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted as he breathed shallow breaths. The other adults were now looking at them and his mother's expression was one he didn't wish to see again.

"Dad there really isn't any need to-" Youngjae attempts to amend the situation but he goes quiet when Seungho gives him a warning glance. Daehyun knows that if he breaks eye contact to look at the other it won't bode well with the man in front of him so he doesn't.

"I'm lending my scent to keep other hybrids at school away from him." he answers nonchalantly and he knows that the adults will see it as though he's not taking it seriously. Daehyun is fully aware of how serious scenting is, he hopes they will simply give him a lecture and move on.

"Other hybrids?" Seungho asks as he looks over to Youngjae, Daehyun smiles at him apologetically and he prays that the other will be able to continue the lie. It was a lie mingled with a truth.

"The other bunny hybrids aren't very kind to me." Youngjae whispers but everyone in the room hears it. Daehyun hates the way the air instantly grows solemn, as though it was a usual thing for other bunny hybrids to treat Youngjae unfairly.

He didn't know much about what Youngjae had gone through during the years he was away but he was positive he'd never met another male bunny hybrid aside from Youngjae and his father. 

However judging by the way the atmosphere changed Daehyun could tell no one wanted to delve into it further, especially not when Youngjae had visibly slumped and his ears seemed to droop even more than they already did.

"I understand that you want to help but scenting is serious Daehyun. It can waver feelings, what if you two feel something for one another because of it? What if you only feel it, solely because of your scents?" Seungho gives him a sharp pat on the shoulder and he goes over to Hyunseung to engage in a conversation.

Daehyun wants to tell him that it's a myth, that scents do not control feelings but he knows he shouldn't. Not when his mother is fuming at him. He takes a step towards Youngjae but he feels an urgent hand on his arm.

"Daehyun, I left my phone back at the house, mind coming with me?" Hyuna looks deep into his eyes and he takes a deep breath before reluctantly nodding. Youngjae doesn't look at them as they leave.

Daehyun follows his mother with his lips pressed together tightly, he loved her more than anything and he knew that she only wanted what was best for him but if she kept condemning him for what happened before he wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Youngjae isn't someone you can play with. He's your childhood friend and he's a sweet person. Why are you doing this to him?" Hyuna turns to him the moment they're back in their own home.

"Daehyun, answer me. We've let you move back home, and we've done our best to erase the record so that it doesn't carry to your new school. Unless it's genuine, leave Youngjae out of it." she shakes her head and her tail whips behind her in an irritated manner.

He remains completely silent, eyes trained to the ground as she continues to tell him things he already knows. Daehyun watches as she runs her hand through her hair and she glares at him.

"Don't you think Youngjae will wonder why you have two scents when all hybrids only have one?" she questions darkly and Daehyun lifts his head in utter disbelief, Hyuna purses her red lips and sighs.

"Let's go back, I'll discuss this with your father. I don't know what's going on between you and Youngjae but you're going to have to tell him someday Daehyun." he doesn't bother waiting for her before he leaves his home and arrives back at the Yoo's.

"Oh Daehyun, you can go right up to Youngjae's room while we talk a little and finish up dinner." Younha smiles at him softly and gestures to the top of the stairs, he nods and makes his way up. He can feel the piercing gazes on his back.

Once he reaches the top floor he lets out the breath he was holding and he can smell the faint scent of celery and apples, he guessed it was the scent of Younha and Seungho.

As he approached Youngjae's door he got a healthy whiff of peaches, chocolate and coffee, he hated how there were two scents there. It didn't sit well in his stomach, it shouldn't be that way.

"Daehyun? You can come in." he hadn't even noticed that Youngjae had opened the door for him, he looks up and sees that the bunny hybrid is staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"Come on then, you don't want to stand out there do you?" Youngjae smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. Daehyun steps forward and he gently cups Youngjae's fluffy cheeks before pressing their lips together.

The bunny hybrid stumbles as the cat hybrid shuts the door by pressing their bodies against it and a resounding slam echoes through the house. Youngjae wraps his arms around Daehyun's waist and pulls him closer.

Daehyun lets his mind pour into his kiss, he wishes he could tell Youngjae everything, he wishes so desperately but so much is holding him back. His fear, his insecurity, his shame...

"Daehyun, I can't breathe." he licks his way into Youngjae's mouth, and at this point even though they're both gasping for air he doesn't stop. He doesn't want to let go, not yet.

"Daehyun!" Youngjae pushes him away violently and he lets his head fall into the crook of the other's neck. Harsh panting fills the room as they both try to replenish their lungs and he feels his heart clenching at how the other trembles in his arms.

"Don't leave me." he whispers and Youngjae gently holds his cheek before bringing their eyes together. Daehyun feels so weak when the other looks at him like that, it feels as though he has nowhere to hide.

"What do you mean? Why would I leave you?" Youngjae asks and he tries to look away but his face is held firmly in place. Daehyun can tell that there's only so much more until Youngjae grows frustrated with him.

"We keep dancing around each other Daehyun. When will we face one another? What are we doing?" Youngjae slumps against the door and they slide to the ground, Daehyun doesn't move even when the bunny hybrid hugs him.

"We should go down for dinner now." he says instead before he pulls away from the bunny hybrid's embrace, he presses a soft kiss against Youngjae's lips and helps him stand.

Daehyun knows how much Youngjae hates it when he avoids his questions, when he avoids him but he can't let him know yet. It isn't the right time. Or was it simply because he wasn't ready?

Youngjae walks past him and goes down the stairs first leaving him alone in the room. Daehyun clenches his fists and he glances at the fake sunflowers on the dresser before he follows.

As he leaves the bedroom and returns to the first floor he can see that everyone is waiting for him, the men of the families are talking to one another while Younha is passing things to Youngjae in order to set the table, his mother is nowhere in sight.

"Daehyun-ah, come sit down." Younha gestures to one of the seats at the table and he bows before taking a seat. The smell of roasted vegetables was sweet and appetizing, his mother wasn't exactly the best at making vegetables delicious.

"You can all begin, I'll go call Hyuna inside." she wipes her hands on her apron before removing it and hanging it onto a hook in the kitchen. Her long hair is tied low and it parts where her tail is sticking out of her dress.

Daehyun assumes that his mother is outside smoking again. It wasn't something she did often, only when she was stressed. He sighed and felt his nails digging into his palms, how much more would he disappoint her?

When Hyuna returns to the table they all begin eating. It was mostly silent although here and there Daehyun would be asked questions about school and how the move had been, Youngjae remained quiet with a small smile on his lips as he listened to the adults speak.

Once dinner is over Daehyun offers to help clean up the table while the father's go out to the front lawn to have a conversation. He stands side by side with Younha as they wash and dry the dishes together.

"I trust Youngjae to make his own decisions. He's almost an adult and there are things you two will learn through this. Your mother... she feels responsible." her voice is smooth like silk and she sounds more like a mother than his own does. 

"It wasn't her fault, she wasn't there." Daehyun says this without spite, because it wasn't her fault. He wasn't exactly to blame either but if he had been more careful than things would be easier. An uneasy feeling settles in his stomach and Younha looks up at him,

"I haven't told Youngjae. My husband doesn't know either, there will come a time when I have to tell them... I hope you can tell Youngjae before then." she turns off the tap and dries off her hands before she wipes down the table.

Daehyun scratches behind his ear and he makes his way to the living room, freezing when he sees his mother and Youngjae talking to one another. They grow quiet when they see him and Hyuna pats his back before walking past Daehyun and towards Younha.

"These family dinners just keep getting more awkward huh." Youngjae chuckles as he pats the cushion beside him and Daehyun hesitantly takes a seat. He unconsciously curls his tail around the bunny hybrid's waist and they're flush against each other.

Youngjae rests his cheek on the cat hybrid's shoulder and he intertwines their fingers, letting their hands sit in Daehyun's lap. He hopes the other can't hear his erratic heart beat and he takes a deep breath to steady himself.

"Daehyun, do you believe in mates? Claiming?" Youngjae whispers and the two words strike different chords in his chest. One strums a burst of affection through his blood, whilst the other beats his heart away.

"I do." he answers simply and Youngjae nuzzles his chin into his shoulder, sniffing and rubbing before he tightens his hold on Daehyun's hand. He then gently pulls away and waits till Daehyun unwraps his tail from his waist before he stands and he hides his face from the other's gaze.

"I do too."

 

Daehyun's steps are heavy as he jogs around the gym. Today's period had been focused on building up endurance so they spent half an hour on the machines before taking laps around the field. 

Since he wasn't there for majority of the semester it meant he was being graded in a very detailed manner, and sometimes he'd be pulled aside to do the general tests that were done in the beginning of the term in order to record progress throughout.

"Okay boys wrap it up! Lunch is beginning soon." Mrs. Jenkins shouts before she blows into the infuriating whistle she keeps hung around her neck. Daehyun slows down into a walk and he tries to regulate his breathing as he follows the others back into the gym.

"Hey Daehyun, how does it feel to finally nab the school's most desired ass?" his classmate Wonshik hollers from across the floor, the other is a cheetah hybrid and pride runs strong in his blood.

"All the bunnies in this school are whores, it's in their DNA." Hakyeon, a hyena hybrid, laughs obnoxiously and Daehyun grits his teeth, he just needs to endure till they reach the locker room. Then he could go meet up with the others and forget all about them.

"Or are you the slut for your master? Little kitty can't even take off his collar for a second. Did you baby bunny give it to you?" Daehyun sees red and he pounces on Wonshik with a hiss.

"Someone call his whore, we need to tame him." Wonshik cackles as he grips Daehyun's choker, tugging at it violently and the cat hybrid gasps as his throat feels the pressure. The choker snaps and the cheetah hybrid throws it on the ground.

"Fuck you!" Daehyun goes to attack once more but Mrs. Jenkins pushes back both of them. He falls to the ground pathetically while Wonshik holds his ground, glaring at the cat and bear hybrids.

"Daehyun, you're dismissed for the rest of the day. Suspension. Wonshik, you'll be visiting the principal's office. Slandering other breeds will not be overlooked in this school." she says with a growl and Daehyun pushes himself off of the floor.

He covers his neck with his hand and ignores the wary glances as he stumbles to the change room. Daehyun grips his neck with both hands and dashes to his locker, with frantic hands he pulls out his bag and got dressed in his uniform with haste.

Daehyun buttoned up his white button down all the way to the top and he didn't even care that his shirt was sticking to his sweaty skin. He needed to get some air, no doubt other teachers would be notified of his suspension so he'd have to wait for Youngjae out front.

 

"You're an idiot you know." Daehyun looks up at the person who so rudely pulled out his earbuds and it just happened to be Yongguk and Himchan who were both looking down at him with that parental disappointment his own parents didn't give him.

"I will electrify you and we'll be eating fried fish tonight." he mumbled beneath his breath as he stood up, his whole body ached from sitting against the school walls for hours. Yongguk rolled his eyes and slumped into the water,

"At this rate I'll be a fish soup, it's so hot." Yongguk complained although to Himchan and Daehyun all it sounded like was bubbles and gurgling. Himchan whacked Daehyun on the shoulder and laughed,

"How bout we boil him?" he suggests and Yongguk fills his mouth with water before spitting a solid stream at the bird hybrid's wings. Himchan curses and flaps them aggressively but before he can tackle his friend Daehyun holds him back.

"Where's Youngjae?" he asks and Yongguk meticulously scoops out the contaminated water with his hands, he casually spills it onto the scorching cement without a care in the world. 

"He's on his way, the maknaes are at dance again. He wasn't very happy to hear about your suspension you know. Look, I have a good idea about what happened and honestly, sometimes it's easier to ignore it. Youngjae gets uncomfortable." Himchan explains and Daehyun frowns.

"We'll talk about it another day, take Youngjae home alright? He had a few tests today." Yongguk reminded him and Daehyun nodded before wiping off the small rocks that stuck to his pants.

He watches as Himchan takes flight and he doesn't bother offering to push Yongguk to his car which gains him a nice insult underwater. Daehyun stands under the shade and watches as groups of hybrids leave the building and he smiles when he spots Youngjae.

"Hey Youngjae." he greets as he joins the other's average pace, Youngjae looks at him with a pout and they round the corner of the school gates, stepping on the sunlit sidewalk that lead to their neighbourhood.

"You weren't in Chemistry." the bunny hybrid kicks at a rock on the ground and it skips into the road, their eyes follow it as it gets run over by a car. Daehyun tightens his lips and he wonder whether Youngjae was aware of what occured during his gym period.

The school was full of gossip after all, and if even upper classmen such as Yongguk and Himchan were aware that meant that the whole school probably knew. It wasn't hard to hide the fact that they were scenting one another after all.

"I got into some trouble in gym class. Mrs. Jenkin's sent me home for the rest of the day." he replied and Youngjae hummed in response. Youngjae looks at the towel he'd tied around his neck as a substitute and laughs,

"You look ridiculous." he giggles softly and Daehyun can only smile at him. They reach the block before their houses in less than 10 minutes and Daehyun leans down to press his face into Youngjae's neck.

However, his heart stops when the other subtly pushes him away. Youngjae kisses him on the lips and he walks the rest of his way home alone, leaving Daehyun standing there in confusion.

 


	9. Georgia

Youngjae enters his house and without even a glance at his parents who are currently sitting at the dining room table he heads up towards his bedroom. He gently closes the door behind him and strides across the room before pulling the curtains closed.

The dust from the cotton makes him scrunch his nose and he shakes his head before tying them shut. His bag droops from his shoulder and falls onto the ground in an ungraceful lump as he removes his uniform, leaving him in only his boxers.

With slightly frantic hands Youngjae pulls out a large black t shirt from his drawer and a pair of light grey shorts as well as pink panties to wear underneath, lastly he lays out a pair of white knee socks with black stripes near the top.

He grabs his phone and turns on his shower playlist as he leaves his room and locks himself in the washroom. Youngjae settles his clothes on the counter and he looks at his tired reflection.

His dark brown hair lays like a mop on his head and it's shining with grease due to his laziness these past couple of days. He sighs and strokes his ears out of habit before he slips out of his boxers and hops into the shower.

As Youngjae lets the cold water warm over his skin he lulls his head back and closes his eyes. The image of Daehyun's hurt expression is etched into his memory and he wants to curl up in shame.

He hated that he pushed Daehyun away like he did, especially when the cat hybrid's touch gave him so much comfort. His mind spins as he lathers shampoo through his hair and his tail twitches beneath the stream of water.

Youngjae takes a subtle sniff of his shoulder and he can smell Daehyun's scent as if it was his own. He hadn't really noticed his own scent before, most hybrids weren't aware unless another told them.

His ears get a simple special shampoo treatment and in a second Youngjae is out of the shower, water dripping down his body as he reaches for his towel. He wipes his face first before running the towel down his arms and legs, leaving his torso last.

Youngjae reaches for the baby lotion sitting behind his mother's cosmetics and he covers his skin in a thin layer, smiling at the unique smell it has. He wasn't exactly a person with perfect skin, his back was prone to acne and his thighs had stretch marks from when he plumped up in middle school.

But at least majority of his skin was quite smooth due to his dutiful use of baby lotion after every shower. Then again he was a teenage boy and he forgot to use it more than he actually did. 

The bunny hybrid slips on his loose clothing and keeps his towel around his head, his ears bundled in the damp material. Youngjae's ears took the longest to dry and clean, he always had to gently wipe the inside and outside since they were so sensitive.

"Youngjae will you be joining us for dinner?" his mother calls out as soon as he exits the washroom. Youngjae looks down at her gentle expression and he purses his lips before shaking his head.

"I'm not hungry. I'll just grab something later if I am, going to study for a bit." he replies and he hears his father clear his throat in the kitchen. Judging by the strong smell of kimchi and soy sauce he was probably making one of his speciality dishes.

"Okay bunny, good luck." Younha sings before she turns on her heel and giggles at something his father must've said. Youngjae feels a small weight lift off his shoulders and he returns to his room.

Without looking towards the window Youngjae puts his dirty boxers in the laundry basket and he goes to his bed to put on his knee socks. Once he wiggles his toes a few times on the round carpet on his floor he decides to distract himself with some extra Physics and Biology work.

His functions test today had been rather difficult considering his mind always seemed to wander back to a certain hybrid. Youngjae sits down at his desk and he pulls out his textbooks before he begins making miscellaneous notes on his subjects.

After twenty minutes of attempting to study Youngjae gives up and he shuts his books with frustration. The clock on his wall reads that it is currently 5:37PM and he decides to call Yongguk to keep him company.

" _Hello Youngjae, what's up_?" Yongguk's voice comes out through gurgles and Youngjae always wondered the extent of his waterproof phone, he pulls up his knee socks with his free hand before replying.

"Want to go on a walk with me hyung? Just round the park?" Youngjae asks and he knows that he doesn't have to explain why. Yongguk was very understanding in that way. 

" _Sure, see you soon_." and the call ends. Youngjae gets out of his chair in a hurry and he grabs a large zip up sweater before slipping it on, it goes past his butt and covers his shorts.

He practically runs down the stairs and he sees only his father sitting in the living room, his ears twitch and he realizes his mother is singing in the shower, her sweet voice carrying through the house.

"Dad can I go hang out with Yongguk hyung please? We won't go far." he pockets his phone and holds his sleeves in a cute sweater paw type manner and Seungho raises an eyebrow,

"Just you and Yongguk? Shouldn't you guys consider bringing another person?" Youngjae blinks at the suggestion but then he remembers that Yongguk was confined to his wheelchair and wasn't useful in potential life threatening situations.

"I'll call Jongup to come along too. So can I go please?" he really hopes he'll be allowed to go, because he needed some time away from Daehyun and from his thoughts in general.

"Jongup, the beagle?" Seungho scratches his head but the playful grin on his lips states that he's clearly joking. Youngjae rolls his eyes and he gives his dad a hug before he puts on his sneakers,

"Corgi, dad. I'll be back, call me if you need me." he waves and exits the house, not bothering to lock the door because they'd keep it open for him anyways. Youngjae didn't usually leave home in his shorts and knee socks but he really gave no fucks today.

With a skip in his step he walks down the driveway and turns left at the sidewalk, he'd head towards Yongguk's first then they'd make their way to the park together. The streets are quite empty as the skies grow dim, he hurries towards Yongguk's house and he passes by a sole woman heading in the other direction.

And he's overwhelmed by the scent of rich coffee.

Before he can spare another thought he hears the sound of machinery running and he turns to see Yongguk merrily making his way down the street with his infamous wheelchair bathtub in all it's glory. The sides are decorated with relflective stickers and there's a little ball as well as a rubber duck floating in the water.

"I was supposed to meet you at your place. Youngjae you shouldn't be walking around carelessly, especially like that." Yongguk scolds and Youngjae can see that the elder has his wavy hair in rivulets over his forehead, his torso is covered in a shirt made of wet suit material and he seems a little cold.

"Sorry hyung, I know I should be more careful but umm, flashy much?" his lips sputter as he holds in a snort and soon enough he holds his stomach as he laughs dramatically at the safety stickers that were clearly a result of a half assed job.

"Shut it you, we're meeting Jongup at the park right?" Yongguk tosses the ball at Youngjae who fails to catch it and he has to run after the red piece of plastic before it runs into the street.

"Yeah, come on." the walk to the park is quiet aside from the hum of Yongguk's wheelchair tub. Youngjae doesn't have much to say but neither does Yongguk, maybe that was why they got along so well.

Whenever Youngjae needed to clear his mind he'd usually call the fish hybrid to come hang out with him and vice versa. Yongguk was quiet when he wasn't bickering with Himchan, he was a hybrid who saw a lot but chose not to say it.

"Youngjae hyung, Yongguk hyung, took you long enough. I've been out here for like four minutes already." Jongup calls out to them once he sees them approaching, the dog hybrid is sitting comfortably on the baby swing which looks painful to be honest.

"Hey Jongup." Youngjae then tosses the red ball and Jongup watches as it goes over his head and bounces onto the grass behind him, one bounce, two bounce and then it sits there like a sore thumb. 

"Fetch." the bunny hybrid snorts on his punch line delivery and Yongguk knocks his head off the edge of his bathtub when he laughs which erupts only more laughter and even Jongup can't help but join.

"I hate you guys." he hops off of the swing and cries out when his stub of a tail gets caught in the hard material and he squats down as he holds the little appendage of his. Youngjae shakes his head,

"You and I both know how aware of our tails we need to be." Jongup glares at him and he adjusts the cap he placed on his sandy blonde hair and ears, unfortunately his grandma had comically forgotten what kind of hybrid they were and bought him a hat for none eared folks.

"Oh yeah hyungs, you both know the dance competition is coming up right? First one of the season." he jumps at them and his corgi side is evident. A big smile spreads on his face and his hyungs reciprocate.

"You guys mentioned it but no one gave us a date." Yongguk wiggles in his tub and he submerges himself with a deep sigh of relief before he struggles when Youngjae closes the lid on him.

"It's next Saturday, 10AM. I forgot where it is but don't worry I'll text you the flyer." Jongup's tone flutters at his excitement and Youngjae pats the youngest's head in sheer pride.

"We'll be there for sure."

 

Youngjae returns home at around 8PM and he sees dinner happily set out for him. His heart warms at the gesture but he simply plops it back into the fridge, maybe he'll eat it tomorrow. His appetite isn't there at the moment.

He heads up to his bedroom and he can hear the soft sound of his dad playing the piano, it's more of an electric keyboard so the volume was controlled. His mother's car hadn't been in the driveway so he guessed she'd already gone to work.

"I'm home dad." he knocks before opening the door and indeed his father is sitting in front of the keyboard across the room. He has his glasses low on his nose and sheet music perched on the stand against the wall.

"Welcome home, don't stay up too late alright?" Seungho reminds him and he whispers a goodnight before closing the door. Youngjae stretches as he enters his own bedroom and he gently shuts the door behind him.

He hangs his sweater up on the hook on his closet door and without hesitating he goes to open the curtains. As the fabric parts he feels an odd sense of relief washing over him when he notices that Daehyun is asleep on his bed.

His body is curled up as usual and his tail thrashes left and right. Youngjae can see that there is a furrow between his brows and he seems stressed, he clenches his fist and tilts his head.

When will he be let in?


	10. Delectable

_Warning - physical abuse and drug (?) abuse (whatever chloroform is considered)_

\--------------------------------

 

Saturday morning approaches them with ease, days had gone by like water under a stream and dance season was now fully upon them. April showers had brought their May flowers and the Spring was beginning to feel more like Summer.

They were all piled up in Yongguk's car, minus the maknae's who had to be at the competition bright and early. Youngjae and Daehyun sat in the back while Himchan sat up front with the fish hybrid in the driver's seat.

Youngjae's fingers danced on the damp wool seats that had yet to dry from the car being drained only moments ago and Daehyun's hand lay lifelessly next to them. As though hoping and praying that they'd interlock fingers and share warmth once more.

Things had been tense between the two of them, balancing on fine glass to keep things under the mask that everything was alright. That there were no problems. Of course it was plain to anyone's eye that there was an undeniable tension but most would let them have the benefit of the doubt.

The competition wasn't very far from Yongguk's house, it wasn't exactly a huge city to begin with. They drove towards the celebration square where the dance competition would be held as well as a Summer fair although it was frankly too early.

Youngjae could see the numerous groups of people making their way down the sidewalks, presumably heading towards the fair which was probably already in full throttle considering it was already 11AM. 

Jongup had told them that the competition began promptly at noon so they had some time to wander about although he also warned them that it'd be busy so if they wanted a good viewing spot it'd be good to get to the stage early.

And so here they were, turning into the parking lot which was basically a large patch of dirt. Half the cars were on the grass anyways, the whole fair was taking place in the park. Youngjae was always amazed to see how they set up the stage and all of the stands.

"Okay we're taking full advantage of your bathtub my dear goldfish." Himchan taps on the glass that seperates the passenger's seat from the driver's and Yongguk breathes out bubbles furiously from his nose. The car settles into park and the three mobile ones scramble out and hurry to the trunk.

"I don't even know how the wheeltub managed to fit." Daehyun points out once the door is lifted, revealing the pristine white tub they all knew and loved. Himchan snorts and cackles with his head thrown back.

"Why did we never call it a wheeltub before?" Youngjae rolls his eyes with a smile, knowing that the eldest would not appreciate his transportation being made fun of once more. They assemble it on the dirt and push it towards the driver's door.

However what they failed to notice was that the tub was blocking the door, meaning when Yongguk tried to open it, it resulted in a loud thud along with streams of water pouring out from the car. Youngjae's jaw drops as he jumps out of the way, protecting himself from the dread of wet socks.

"You idiots owe me new water. And I'm a guppy hybrid thank you very much you pidgeon." Yongguk flops from the seat into his tub and his skin drags along the dry surface with a squeak that makes them all cringe. Daehyun locks the car while Youngjae takes responsibility for pushing the fish hybrid around.

"Pidgeon?! I'm a hawk you ungrateful shit," Himchan huffs as he stalks after them, thankfully the park does have a fountain that has a hose attachment to accommodate for all of the aquatic hybrids. They wait in line with a frog and axolotl hybrid.

"While you two hydrate our fish I'm going to tell Jongup that we're here." the bird hybrid taps away at his phone underneath the shade of a tree while the cat and bunny work away under the sun. Yongguk has his face scrunched up and he's curled up into himself due to his discomfort.

"You should probably tell Junhong, Jongup never checks his phone." Youngjae reminds him as he struggles with the hose that's much longer than he is. He fails to predict the water pressure and when he turns it on it goes out of control, which results in Yongguk getting sprayed in the face and Daehyun in the foot.

"Oh shit sorry." he apologizes with a chuckle and Daehyun glares at him. Yongguk was too busy holding his face from the slight pain he was feeling and they all completely forgot that the cat hybrid obviously didn't like water.

"Pass that to me." Daehyun hisses and Youngjae doesn't find it in him to refuse. So he hands over the green hose and once he does he yelps at the spray that attacks his chest. Just as Youngjae is about to reach for it again they hear flapping wings,

"Hey, you two can play later. Show starts in 20 minutes." Himchan narrows his eyes and the two both clear their throats before they begin to obediently fill Yongguk's tub with water. The fish hybrid sighs in relief and submerges himself the moment it's filled halfway.

"Okay let's go, Youngjae you follow behind with Daehyun while I push the fish." the bunny hybrid smiles in amusement when he sees Yongguk sneak a middle finger at Himchan who was too busy to notice. He slows down to match Daehyun's footsteps and stays close to his side.

"I'm sorry, sorry, whoops my bad there. We need to get through sorry!" Himchan begins apologizing as he practically drives through the other hybrids using Yongguk's wheeltub as a complete plough. Daehyun's jaw drops in utter disbelief and Youngjae keeps his head down as they follow the path that Himchan paved for them.

They find a nice spot in the middle of the crowd, up close to the stage but not close enough to get attacked by local supporters. Also it was an unwritten rule that no aquatic hybrids were allowed close, considering the water wasn't very safe around all of the wires.

"So when is our school going up, did they tell you?" Yongguk asks and he's looking a little green around his gills. Youngjae feels slightly worried for him, no doubt the way Himchan was driving his wheeltub had made him nauseous. 

"From what I heard, our school is going second? There's four teams in total." Himchan briefs them as he looks at a picture on his phone, Youngjae leans in to see that it's a picture of the flyers he'd seen hanging around the cafeteria. Daehyun presses up close to him and Youngjae jolts.

"Stay close, crowds aren't safe." he whispers into the bunny hybrid's ear. Youngjae flushes red and he clears his throat before sitting down on the edge of Yongguk's wheeltub, which only makes his butt hurt so he ends up standing once more.

"Okay we'd like to welcome all of your to kick off starter of our annual dance competition which will determine the teams making it to Provincials and finally Nationals!" the MC gains all of their attention with his booming voice that's amplified with the microphone.

The competition goes on smoothly. The first team dances an original choreography to a kpop girl group that Youngjae's never heard before, the boys dance along too which makes the crowd laugh. But as the song progresses their expressions change and a shift in the key brings on bolder dance moves.

The crowd cheers as they execute some professional body rolls and even Youngjae finds himself clapping. Dancing was always something he wished he could do but his body never really cooperated with him, so he envied those who could.

They finally prepare for their final pose and the music stops with some makeshift fireworks shooting up from the edges of the stage. A large applause erupts from around them, Daehyun and Youngjae both have to cover their ears from the screeching noise.

"Wow that was something! Now don't let your cheers die because now we have the next team!" Himchan and Yongguk both screamed like the proud parents they were as Jongup and Junhong entered the stage first. 

The two looked nervous but they both exchanged glances before they smirked. A song by Chris Brown started playing and they both immediately locked their bodies, they then began to dance their own styles to the opening verse.

While Junhong was precise in his movement, Jongup was smooth and he looked like he was exerting little to no effort at all. Jongup then ended with a back handspring while Junhong did a one handed front flip. The crowd screamed as the rest of the team members entered the stage and the duo moved to the back to let them shine.

Youngjae felt a sense of pride swelling in his chest as he watched the two maknaes dance with smiles on their faces, sweat on their foreheads. They looked so happy and he knew exactly how hard they've been practicing for this moment.

As the song comes to an end the crowd roars with excitement once more and Himchan wipes his fake tears. The rest of the competition follows the same vibe, feeding off of the buzz of the crowd to keep the teams hyped. 

"That's all for today folks! Wasn't that amazing?! Now, I'd like the judges to bring up their ballots so that we can determine who's going to Provincials this year!" the MC steps down the stage towards the table set up on the grass. Himchan and Yongguk keep their hands together praying that their maknaes win while Daehyun merely glances around the crowd.

"Well folks it seems like there's two winners this year! Both teams have earned the right to progress in next months' Provincials! And the teams are, The Aliens and The Dumbells!" Himchan erupts in a flurry of proud screams as Jongup and the other teams respresentative both step up to receive their trophies.

"Enjoy the rest of the fair folks and thank you to all of our participants!" the MC wraps up and Himchan has a grin that could rip his mouth. He turns to them and he gestures to the stage,

"Let's go backstage and meet them. Then we can all walk around together." he suggests and they all nod before once again using Yongguk's wheeltub to go against the crowd of hybrids, since everyone was dispersing back towards the food stalls.

Youngjae gasps as a strong pair of arms wrap around his torso and he squeals when he roughly dragged back. In panic he frantically searches for the attacker and his blood runs cold when he sees the lion hybrid. 

"Stop it! Someone help please!" Youngjae screams at the top of his lungs but the noise of the crowd is too great. His voice doesn't even come close to overcoming the loud fair music bursting from the speakers scattered on the grass. He kicks and screams with tears in his eyes, begging someone to help him.

But the looks of those around him are all too familiar. Youngjae was too weak to fight back and he struggled as much as could but everyone was looking at him like they always did. They looked at him like he deserved it.

Youngjae could see the judgemental glares from everyone around him. As though he'd brought this upon himself simply because he was a bunny hybrid. Reality came back to him when his shoes skidded across the gravel of the parking lot.

"No no no no!" he whimpered when he saw the lion hybrid reach for his car remote, Youngjae cried helplessly as he desperately tried to wiggle away. The lion hybrid gritted his teeth and roughly brought his hand down on Youngjae's cheek.

"You will become a part of my collection, pet! The others make great company I promise." he growled angrily and Youngjae could taste the copper on his tongue. However he didn't stop trying to escape. He continued to scream, maybe there were others who were already leaving, those who could hear him.

"Time to sleep bunny." Youngjae's shrieks are muffled when a white cloth is placed over his nose and mouth, he tries to hold his breath but the chemical is too strong. His body slowly falls limp but he attempts to hold onto his conscious for a little longer.

The sound of wings comes closer and Youngjae can hear worried calls of his name as the lion hybrid lets him go. He falls lifelessly to the ground and knocks his head on the gravel before everything goes dark.

 

When Youngjae finally opens his eyes he knows that he's in a hospital room. He doesn't feel confused at all and he knows exactly what could've happened to him. He takes a deep breath and meets the worried eyes of his parents and friends.

"Youngjae! Oh my baby bunny, are you feeling alright?" Younha gently places a hand on her son's cheek and Seungho reaches the press the button in order to alert the nurses. Youngjae groans as he winces at the pain in his left cheek,

"Don't worry, we've contacted the police and he'll be dealt with. He's been bringing underaged guests into the hotel with fake IDs," Younha grimaces at the fact that she exposed her son to danger. She vowed to never let him fill in again, it was irresponsible for her to do.

"The doctor has told us that you only need to stay overnight, just to make sure that there's no more chloroform in your system. Your cheek will be swollen for some time and thankfully there's no trauma in your head." Seungho explains and Youngjae sighs as he nods.

"We need to talk to the doctor okay? We'll be back Youngjae," his mother presses a kiss to his forehead and he wants to smile but it hurts. The two exit the room and Youngjae looks at his friends with interest. They all looked like someone had died.

"Jongup managed to take a picture of the lion hybrid's license plate just before he drove off. We called the police as soon as he left," Yongguk told him quietly, they all had some kind of guilt on their mind. Especially Daehyun.

"Thank you guys. Who knows what would've happened to me if you hadn't come. At least he's gone now," Youngjae unconsciously smiled and whimpered at the pain that instantly spread like wild fire. Himchan smiled at him and clicked his tongue,

"Careful there Youngjae. We're going to go get some food and the maknaes need to tell their parents about the competition," Yongguk said to him and they all filed out one by one leaving him alone with a certain cat hybrid. Youngjae noticed how Daehyun didn't meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry... if I kept you by my side none of this would've happened," his head hangs low and his fists are clenched so hard that his knuckles are white. Youngjae disregards his apology completely and he pats his lap.

"Want to snuggle on my lap kitty?" he teases and Daehyun lifts his head revealing his teary eyes. Youngjae bears the pain and he forces himself to grin, his eyes crinkling in an adorable manner. He feels joy when the cat hybrid obediently removes his shoes and climbs onto the bed.

Instead Daehyun hovers over him and looks deep into his eyes. Youngjae doesn't bother hiding even though the gaze is so intense, he doesn't even flinch when the cat hybrid lets his fingers dance over his injured cheek. Daehyun leans downward and he presses a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, where the skin had split.

Youngjae lets his eyes flutter closed as gentle hands caress his sides and he feels warm as Daehyun's plush lips kiss his neck. The cat hybrid's hands continue to roam his practically naked body, covered by only a flimsy hospital gown. 

Daehyun presses their bodies together and he inhales behind Youngjae's floppy ear, shaking as he exhales. Youngjae isn't sure how he can bring the other comfort, he's clearly taking things much more personally than he should. But he's not one to judge.

"Hold me Daehyun," he whispers. Youngjae opens his eyes and he blinks when a hot tear falls on his chin. He places both hands on Daehyun's face and lightly touches his ears, watching as they twitch and he gasps when he feels the other's tail wind around his waist.

They share a chaste kiss before Daehyun lies down beside him, holding him in a tender embrace as they both give in to their exhaustion.

 


	11. Bless Her Heart

Daehyun and Youngjae both decide to skip school on Monday. Youngjae's parents don't mind since the doctor's had recommended he take it easy until he was 100% while Daehyun's parents assumed he was doing the right thing anyways.

They both lay in the comfort of the bunny hybrid's bedroom, dressed comfortably as they spoke to one another. Of course majority of what they spoke of was simply brighter things, avoiding the main issue at hand. As they always did.

"What are your plans for the future?" Youngjae asks as Daehyun lays in his lap. He toys with the cat hybrid's greasy locks as they listen to music playing lowly on his phone. They were getting used to one another in their own way, constantly teetering on the line between what was going too far and what was just enough.

"Not exactly sure, there's just too many options and I'm not interested in any of them. Maybe something involving travel," he's nonchalant in his reply, that much Youngjae could tell. He made a muffled sound in response and looked down to see Daehyun looking up at him,

"And you?" Youngjae knew this question was coming, it was only natural after all. However, he couldn't think of a proper answer. All of the ideas in his head seemed blank, so many opportunities and so many occupations that he as well, did not have any interest in.

"No idea, I'm just trying to survive," his honest answer delights Daehyun who silently lifts his hand so that they can touch. Youngjae doesn't do so right away and he chuckles when the cat hybrid uses his tail to direct his hand closer. 

Youngjae lets his fingertips brush Daehyun's rough palm before he presses their hands together. He takes note of how Daehyun's hand was bigger than his own, not overwhelmingly so but enough to notice. It makes him feel safe.

He can feel that Daehyun is staring at him. He always does. Youngjae isn't sure what expression he has on his face but he doesn't really feel like knowing either. They clasp their fingers together and Daehyun shifts his head on the bunny hybrids' lap to get his attention.

"What are we?" Youngjae whispers as he closes his eyes. Daehyun's ears brush against his thighs and he inhales deeply, he isn't aware of how the other is holding his breath but the tension is thick in the air.

"I don't think we have a label to put on this. But I do know, that it's always been you," Youngjae opens his eyes and he sees bouquet of fake sunflowers sitting on his dresser, dust having collected on the petals. He could vaguely remember his childhood, however he knew that Daehyun was always by his side.

That was until he left.

Daehyun stretched his body as he grew stiff from laying on his side for so long, his loose shirt rose to show his navel and his shorts rode up his muscular thighs. Youngjae shamelessly stared at him.

"Want to go out?" Youngjae whispered as he ran his fingers back through Daehyun's messy locks, gently scratching behind his ear which caused the cat hybrid to involuntarily purr low in his throat. He laughed at Daehyun's embarrassed expression,

"Where to? You should really rest up," Youngjae rolls his eyes as he shoves the cat hybrid's head off of his lap and he crawls over Daehyun to get off of the bed. His sock clad feet slide on the polished wooden floor and he skips to his dresser. He was only wearing a hoodie with a pair of shorts, so technically he only needed to find pants.

"I'm perfectly fine. You're all worrying too much," he huffs as he bends over to reach down into the bottom drawer of his dresser for a pair of ankle socks. As he pulls out a white pair and straightens his back when he feels Daehyun's arms winding around his waist.

"You were almost kidnapped Youngjae, by a hybrid like him out of all things," the anger in Daehyun's voice is evident. The lion hybrid was easily caught by authourities because he was a well known man in the line of business. Turns out he'd kept multiple hybrids in his home, using them for his sexual pleasure.

He shivered just thinking about the possibility. Not to mention the fact that he was such a rare hybrid, how long had the lion hybrid been watching him he wondered. Daehyun nuzzled into his nape and he could feel the cat hybrid rubbing soothing circles on his hips.

"We'll go to the park then, doesn't hurt to get a distraction," Daehyun relents and he pulls away to let Youngjae get dressed. The weather had been quite warm as of late however the cold wind was always there. Daehyun jumps back into his room so that he can change clothes as well.

"Let's have a picnic then," Youngjae says as he leans on his desk, having put on a pair of  joggers. Daehyun slips on a pair of black harem pants and he keeps his shirt the same. He looks at the bunny hybrid and raises an eyebrow,

"By picnic I mean we sit in the park on a blanket and we eat hotdogs from the stands because neither you or I can cook," Youngjae laughs and Daehyun makes a quick note to grab his wallet. 

"Sounds good, I'll meet you out front. I have to grab my shoes," the two part ways and Youngjae leaves his room with a skip in his step. His bag flops on his back since it doesn't have much inside to weigh it down. His mother is sitting in the living room with a tired expression on her face.

"Going somewhere bunny?" Younha asks with a strained smile. Youngjae immediately floods with worry and he approaches her before sitting down on the couch with his legs crossed. He takes her hands in his own and pats them reassuringly,

"I'm going to the park with Daehyun if that's alright," he knows better than to preach sweet nothings to her. His mother was a stronger person than he'd ever be, behind her gentle smile was always much more that he wished he could understand.

"Be careful, and bring your house key I'll be at work within the hour," she tells him. Youngjae knows that the investigation regarding the lion hybrid requires the police to spend time at the hotel, searching into the database to see clients who have gone and went.

"Okay mom, where's our picnic blanket by the way?" Youngjae stands up and he looks around the living room for said item. His mother looks up at him with a smirk and he scratches behind his ears,

"A picnic with Daehyun? So cute. It's in the drawer, we only have that one your father bought from the Christmas market," Younha teases before she gestures to the kitchen.

Youngjae rolls his eyes before he hops over to grab it, he could still remember how embarrassed he had been whenever they pulled out the large blanket covered in snowflakes and Christmas trees, especially during Summer. But now he didn't care too much, in fact he quite liked it.

"Bye mom, have a safe drive," Youngjae says with a wave and he tucks the blanket underneath his armpit as he toes on his shoes. His tail unconsciously wiggles in excitement and Younha smiles warmly at the image of her grown son.

"Thank you Youngjae, have fun and you too, be safe," Youngjae gives one last glance to his mother before he leaves the house, gently closing the door behind him as he locks it. Once he pockets his keys and lifts his head he sees Daehyun standing in front of his porch, waiting.

"Christmas in May?" Daehyun says with a cheeky grin, Youngjae just tosses the blanket at him. To be honest he loves seeing Daehyun like this, so carefree and happy. It's been some time since he'd seen him so relaxed, since he returned they've all been on their toes.

"And I suppose you brought something better?" they both walk side by side as they exit the driveway, hand in hand as they swing their joined hands to the sound of Youngjae's humming. Daehyun lightly squeezes his hand,

"I did actually but you'll have to wait," he says and he ignores the bunny hybrid's confused expression. They make their way down the familiar streets of their childhood in silence, aside from Youngjae's occasional questions and Daehyun's playful replies.

They enter the grassy paradise that is the local park and they're pleased to see that only a few people are there. It's still school hours so it was practically void of all Elementary and High school students, Youngjae could recognize an alumni from their high school though. 

"Let's go behind the bush," Daehyun casually suggests and Youngjae doesn't protest as he's tugged along. The azalea bush is stunning to say the least, with it's flowers in full bloom, the shades of pink are vibrant as they dance in the breeze. They set down their blanket quite close to it, and as they sit they're completely shielded.

"So is there where you murder me?" the bunny hybrid lays down on his stomach with a stretch, he groans as he moves off a rock that was under the blanket and comfortably rests his head on his arms. Daehyun leans down and nibbles on his ear,

"How would you like to die? Quick and painless, or slow and pleasurable?" Daehyun's voice rumbles low and Youngjae is almost aroused. He laughs instead and turns, instantly straddling the cat hybrid's thighs with a mischievous glint in his bright eyes.

"How could you make death pleasurable? You're an idiot," he giggles loudly on Daehyun's lap, his stomach beginning to hurt as he wheezes for air. The cat hybrid rolls his eyes and shoves him off,

"It wasn't that funny," he grumbles, feeling wronged because the mood wasn't going as he'd hoped. He sits cross legged with his back facing Youngjae, his ears flicking in an irritated manner. The bunny hybrid scoots up close behind him and wraps his arms around his torso before resting his cheek against Daehyun's shoulder blade.

"Hmm is kitty in a bad mood now?" Youngjae presses a kiss on his clothed back before he trails his fingers underneath Daehyun's loose shirt, rubbing the thick hairs that decorate his lower abdomen. He pulls on them which causes the cat hybrid to hiss.

"Play with me," he demands before he moves back and pulls Daehyun back harshly. The other tumbles to the ground and gasps when the bunny hybrid perches himself on his lower pelvis once more, keeping him immobile.

Youngjae pulls off his hoodie leaving himself bare in a t shirt before he lifts the bottom, he scrunches it up and bites down on his leaving his pierced nipples and torso on display, his milky white skin looks delectable.

Daehyun is speechless as Youngjae pulls down his joggers just until his panties are showing and he shamelessly pulls his little cock to the surface, the head barely passing the waistband despite being semi hard. The sultry gaze in his eyes brings Daehyun over the edge,

"Fuck Youngjae," he gasps as the bunny hybrid grinds down on him. Youngjae guides Daehyun's hands to his chest and he squeals in pleasure when rough fingers tweak the rings that thread through his nipples. He can feel Daehyun hardening beneath him and he's feeling excited,

"I've been waiting so long," he says through gritted teeth. They'd been subtly touching one another since Daehyun returned, clear sexual tension between them on the many nights where they touched themselves quietly.

"Daehyun," Youngjae gasps as the cat hybrid ruts up under him. Daehyun's clothed erections pushing up against his own, bringing the head of his small cock right past the tight band. He shivers at the sensation and Daehyun moves his hands to his waist.

"Moan my name louder Youngjae, let everyone hear you," Daehyun growls and only then does Youngjae remember that they're in a public park, hidden by an azalea bush. He bites down on his shirt harder to mask his sounds.

Daehyun reaches down into Youngjae's pants to cup his pert butt cheeks, he caresses the skin under Youngjae's tail and the bunny hybrid leans forward with a high pitched whine. His member spurts long ropes of cum and he shudders uncontrollably, his teary eyes looking deep into Daehyun's.

His expression brings the cat hybrid to the edge and he blames his teenage hormones for coming undone so quickly. Unfortunately he comes in the confines of his pants and he can already feel the stickiness against his sensitive member.

"Well, we should get home soon because I feel disgusting. What was your surprise?" Youngjae asks breathlessly as he messily wipes his release from his stomach to smear on the grass. He's thankful nothing got on the Christmas blanket. Daehyun reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a tube of lube, tossing it into Youngjae's lap,

"We already had fun so I'll save this for next time," he winks and Youngjae looks at the thing with interest. He waves it around in the air and feels how hard the cap is, with a raised eyebrow he looks down at Daehyun,

"This was under your ass the whole time?"

"Yep, my whole right ass cheek is numb. So get off."

 

Youngjae and Daehyun walk home hand in hand. The Christmas blanket is under Daehyun's arm this time and they're quiet as usual. They always had a constant weight down on their shoulders, it only vanished sometimes. 

He liked to believe that everything would be alright now. The lion hybrid was out of their minds, school would be in full throttle tomorrow and the Summer was approaching. They could go back to the comfortable days with their friends, where nothing was wrong. But of course that was never the case.

The moment they see the woman on Daehyun's porch everything goes numb. Youngjae feels nothing as he sees Hyuna arguing with the same woman who he'd passed by the other day. 

The same woman who smelt of coffee.

Hyuna looks furious as she yells profanities that Youngjae doesn't want to hear. He freezes the moment he sees the scene and Daehyun simply squeezes his hand, his face uncomfortable as he ducks down to hide.

"Can I hide out in your room?" not another word is said as Daehyun wordlessly follows behind Youngjae. Casually keeping his face hidden as he slips into the house next door. They both make their way to Youngjae's room, the bunny hybrid tosses him a new pair of boxers along with a shirt and shorts before gesturing to the towels in the closet.

Youngjae wipes down his stomach with a wet wipe and discards it afterwards feeling too tired to actually shower. He lays down in bed and looks up at the small glow in the dark stars he'd pasted up there as a child. They'd long lost their shine but he couldn't bring himself to take them down.

He wondered if Daehyun still had his matching stars on his ceiling, they'd both caused such a fuss because they both wanted the same pack. Youngjae smiles and he smells the faint scent of Daehyun on his bed. He stretches his limbs and listens as the shower head runs.

Daehyun comes into the room not much later, freshly washed and with his hair fluffy from the hair dryer. He whips his dirty clothes into his own bedroom and approaches Youngjae who was still lying motionless on the bed.

He doesn't hesitate to bring their lips together in a heated kiss. It's almost animalistic the way Daehyun works his way into Youngjae's mouth, swallowing plump lips as he devours him whole. Youngjae reaches upward and grips Daehyun's hair roughly, 

"Youngjae I should head back now," Daehyun says through pants as he trails open kisses down Youngjae's neck. But the latter shakes his head, almost desperately as he pulls the cat hybrid down into his sheets,

"Stay." 

 

As the cover of night washes over them and fluttering dreams flash behind closed lids, one of them wakes. Youngjae pulls away from the warmth of the other and gently touches the leather choker hiding the secret between them. He lightly pulls the clasp and drops the choker to the ground.

Revealing a claim mark.

 


	12. Peach Pit

For some reason, he isn't surprised. At first glance, the mark is a mess. Unlike most claim marks where they are meticulously planned out, this one seems rushed, painful. From this mark, stems all of Daehyun's problems.

Youngjae lightly traces the mark with his finger and he can feel the disgruntled skin that healed oddly. Once when he was a child he saw a wolf hybrid couple, as a bunny hybrid they didn't claim one another and solely relied on scenting so he'd been confused when he saw a scar on each of their necks.

He wondered if they'd fought with one another, but when he got a better look he realized how beautiful they were. The marks were so pristine, clean, the hybrids wore them proudly and it made Youngjae envious.

So why was it when he looked at Daehyun's claim mark he saw the opposite of beauty? It seemed forced, as if he had been bitten by a predator rather than a lover. Youngjae knows not to assume however, he wouldn't know unless he talked to Daehyun about it. 

Daehyun begins to stir in his sleep and his brows furrow as he whines. Youngjae notices the sweat lining his forehead and he can feel that the other is having what seems to be a nightmare. He isn't sure what to do.

The cat hybrid naturally finds him and he buries his face deep into Youngjae's neck, his whines slowly die down into light breaths of relief and he relaxes once more. Youngjae's heart swells at the action and he holds the other close to him, inhaling the subtle scent of coffee mixed with chocolate.

A thought carries him back to the day he'd passed by that woman on the street, the woman who smelt of coffee. It wasn't common for hybrids to carry the same scents as one another, unless they were related or mated in some way. 

Youngjae grits his teeth at the fact and he unconsciously moves closer to Daehyun who continues to sleep as though nothing is wrong. He thinks back to the woman on his neighbour's porch, judging by Hyuna's reaction to her there had to be something else.

As much as he didn't want to admit it... all of the points seemed to line up. He shook his head and told himself that he couldn't assume anything without Daehyun's explanation. If he let his thoughts take over he'd be left in a spiral of self doubt and possible misunderstandings.

The clock on his wall reads a blazing 2:53AM in the dark and Youngjae runs his hand down his face. He feels tired but not in that kind of way, he was getting tired of whatever this was between them. All of the secrets and confusion was taking a toll on him.

Hell, he should be focused on finishing high school and looking for post secondary options. Not dealing with stalkers, kidnappings and teenage hormones that appeared to be so much more. 

Daehyun jolts in his sleep and his face scrunches up before he begins to blink having felt someone's gaze on him. Youngjae frowns when the cat hybrid immediately reaches up to feel his neck, shocked at how it was bare. 

He hadn't even taken notice of how Youngjae was looking at him, of whose arms he was in, everything he did revolved around hiding his claim mark. It was sad. Daehyun seems to finally take notice of how the bunny hybrid is looking at him and he keeps his head low, his hands clutched around his neck tightly like he wanted to choke himself.

"Talk to me?" Youngjae asks softly and he carefully removes Daehyun's hands, he holds them in his own and he lets the cat hybrid take his time. He takes a moment to allow his brain to wake up before his lips tremble and he thinks of the right words to say.

"When I was 14... a teacher at my school claimed me." Daehyun says nothing more and nothing less. Straightforward to the point it leaves Youngjae speechless. Even though the evidence had been there since the beginning Youngjae felt his stomach churn at the truth.

_Someone claimed me... Daehyun was claimed... He belonged to someone else..._

"I didn't understand it at the time, it happened so suddenly. I didn't know what to do... so I hid it. From my grandparents, from my parents," Youngjae's eyes are wide as he stares at the floor, Daehyun was sitting up now, their thighs brushing beneath the duvet.

"But there was only so much I could hide, what with my scent being different. My mother noticed instantly," Daehyun's lips purse together as he recollects the story from his memory that he wished he could forget. No matter where he went, this claim mark would remind him of what happened.

"The moment they figured it out, they pulled me out of the school and dragged me back home. My mother didn't press charges at first but she vowed that she would if she came anywhere close to me," Youngjae swallows and he lets his fingertips sit in Daehyun's palms.

"My kind doesn't really claim others like wolves do, we rely on scents just like you do," Daehyun says and Youngjae crawls into his lap, he feels comfort when the cat hybrid holds him around the waist, pressing their bodies close to one another.

"And so I don't really feel anything for her, but her scent follows me wherever I go. It makes me feel like I can't think for myself, covering it helps," Youngjae noses Daehyun's neck and he can smell the stronger scent of coffee, it makes him nauseous. The warmth of Daehyun's chocolate scent felt masked.

"Do you really not feel anything for her?" Youngjae is well aware of how deep their animalistic instincts lie within them, it was difficult to resist at times. He pulls away but keeps his arms laying loosely on Daehyun's shoulders. Their eyes meet in the dark,

"No, I don't." he replies confidently and Youngjae decides he will believe him for now. Disappointment runs through his blood and he feels himself simmering with anger. Why was this hidden from him for so long? Especially with the kind of relationship they had, didn't he have the right to know?

"Come closer," Youngjae whispers and Daehyun doesn't hesitate to lean in. However he doesn't expect it when he feels pain over his claim mark, Daehyun gasps as Youngjae sinks his teeth into the healed mark, pushing him down into the bed.

"I don't like it," the bunny hybrid growls as he bites down on the claim mark once more. Daehyun winces in pain but he doesn't pull away, Youngjae's teeth definitely weren't strong enough to pierce his skin unless he really tried. Instead he keeps his arms wrapped around the other who begins to tremble in his embrace.

"You're mine," Youngjae sniffles and he slams his fists down on Daehyun's chest. His mind is a mess and the person beneath him was the cause for all of this. Maybe in the morning he'll remember that it wasn't Daehyun's fault.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he rasps through his anger. Daehyun takes a deep breath and he catches Youngjae's hands before they come pounding down on him, he takes the time to intertwine their fingers and he meets Youngjae's heated gaze.

"Would it have made a difference?" Daehyun whispers and Youngjae's body completely slumps. He falls down helplessly against Daehyun and he allows himself to be held by his source of confusion.

Youngjae wants to scream, he wants to tell Daehyun that if he had known he wouldn't have allowed it to come this far. Whatever their relationship was considered, would've stayed simply platonic.

But he knows that if he did he'd be lying. 

Because no one knows the truth more than he did, maybe he's been in love with his best friend all along.

 


	13. White Peach

_Rated for non-consensual claiming_

_\--------------------------------------------_

 

_3 Years Ago_

 

Daehyun had yet to fully intergrate himself into the reality that he no longer lived in a comfortable place. His parents had explained to him that his grandparents were growing old and that they wanted to spend more time with him, at 8 years old he couldn't really protest.

Now that he was 14 he was beginning to dislike the choice that his parents made more and more. His grandparents were a wonder, they loved him and cared for him, making his stay in Busan as bearable as possible. But he simply wasn't getting used to it.

Rather than growing into a person who resided there, he felt as though he was in a constant state of alientation. Daehyun didn't really fit in and he was trying his best to make it work, it was the least he could do for his grandparents.

Despite Busan being a large and bustling city, his grandparents lived in the more rural areas. They owned a farm and often went out to the ocean to fish for the local market where they'd set up their stall on Sunday. Daehyun being the "young-in" as they liked to call him had to do a lot of labour.

But because of that he naturally became isolated from his class. It was already a small community where all the children had grown up together and with him having to arrive at school late and leave right when the bell rang he never managed to make any real friends.

Not only that but he didn't wish to make any new friends. His heart still belonged to his friends back in his home town, he'd never felt happier and a day never went by where he wasn't missing them. 

Daehyun was a mammal hybrid and he was one of the very few in town. Since Busan is near the sea, the hybrids who lived there were naturally aquatic, and so their school activities usually involved swimming or other water sports since the vast majority of students were comfortable in that environment.

Being a cat hybrid he naturally disliked the water, and he was easily made a subject of foolery within the pool, being dragged down by fish hybrids or octopus hybrids like it was some kind of game to see how long he could last under the water. It made him miss Yongguk most since he knew the elder would never do that to him.

But most of all, Daehyun missed Youngjae. His best friend. The days he spent under the bright skies playing with the bunny hybrid would never be forgotten, they'd befriended one another from the moment they met at the age of 3, not a single day passed without them being side by side.

Daehyun wondered if Youngjae missed him as much as he did.

 

"Daehyun, Jongin please drop by my office during lunch," the teacher's assistant, Han Sunhwa, called out to them as soon as the bell rang. He could hear snickers and see other students rolling their eyes as though Daehyun was a bad student.

Really, he often just spent his lunch periods in her office (which was more like a break room) because he claimed to need extra community service hours and she provided those for students who help her mark or organize. 

Usually it was only Daehyun and the sole "friend" he'd made, Jongin, who was a bear hybrid and slept throughout most of their classes. He had certain affections for a very well known penguin hybrid Do Kyungsoo who happened to be a year older than them. 

"I'm going to drop by the cafeteria first, there's only so many honey buns and I have no lunch today," Jongin says through a yawn and his little ears twitch wildly on his head, Daehyun smiles up at him and nods.

"Sure, I'll meet you later," they finish packing up their things and they part ways once they exit the classroom. Daehyun drops by his locker which is right by the main office and he puts in his biology and english textbooks, immediately feeling the weight lifted once he adjusts his bag.

Daehyun then enters the office from the front and nods to the two secretaries before he follows the same route he always does. Left down the small hall and then right into the break room. Sunhwa was already sitting there waiting for him, however, unlike most days her cheeks were more pink than usual. Daehyun wondered if she bought a new blush or something.

"Hello Daehyun, where's Jongin?" Sunhwa greets him with her bright smile and Daehyun settles down in his usual seat across from her, the only other seat at the table remains empty. The cat hybrid feels a little unsettled as she stares him down.

"He'll be here soon, he's gone off to the cafeteria to buy lunch," Daehyun explains. Usually he doesn't feel so pressured in her presence. But she was a wolf hybrid, not to mention an alpha, she was naturally intimidating. He really hopes Jongin will hurry up.

"I see, well you can start off with this pile today," Sunhwa pushes over a small stack of written tests and doesn't say another word. Its confusing to say the least. She was very popular with the students, being so close in age and very kind.

Actually, she'd been the one who helped Daehyun most when he had entered high school. The kids from elementary naturally stuck with their own groups and since there were rarely any new students, Daehyun had been left alone. Through Sunhwa's introduction he met Jongin who was now a relatively good friend of his.

She'd told him of how she was the same, often neglected and left alone since she was a female alpha. Wolves weren't the most liked of hybrid species, sadly they were territorial and bullied others stereotypically. They also commonly lived near the mountains, while she had received a teaching opportunity near the ocean.

Daehyun quietly unpacks his lunch and he spoons fried rice into his mouth as he marks the papers. He could feel Sunhwa's eyes on him so he carefully ate, making sure nothing landed on the student's tests. A knock on the door startles him and he sees a familiar bear hybrid enter the room.

"Sorry I'm late," Jongin mumbles as he takes his usual seat beside Daehyun. Sunhwa wordlessly slides over some work for him to do and he unconsciously glances at Daehyun who's eyes are rooted to his papers. Normally bear hybrids were feared as well, having nearly the same stereotypes as wolves did but every knew Jongin was practically a teddy bear.

For the first time during his lunch period Daehyun's reminded of how it used to be when he first arrived, he glances out the window and wonders when he'll be able to visit home again.

 

Daehyun arrives at school bright and early for once, his grandparents letting him escape from the morning chores because he needed to hand in an assignment. Technically it was supposed to have been handed in the day before, but he and Jongin ended up falling asleep on the rooftop and they missed that class.

The school is empty indoors, since most of the students who did come early were either on the sports fields or hauled up in the library. Daehyun swiftly makes his way through the hallways, arriving at the staff room in seconds. He knocks on the door before he enters, it was a room filled with multiple desks and only one of them was occupied.

"I'm sorry to bother, is Mr. Kang in? I just wanted to drop off this paper," Daehyun asks in a small voice whilst holding up his assignment. Sunhwa lifts her head and Daehyun can swear he sees a flicker of red in her deep brown orbs, he brushes it off as the sunlight reflecting in her irises.

"Ah yes, Mr. Kang, follow me Daehyun," Sunhwa's tone is much raspier than he would've expected. She stands on wobbly legs and her pants are heavy as she approaches him, Daehyun can recall how she'd been off yesterday, perhaps she was sick?

Daehyun follows her wordlessly, vaguely trying to predict where it was that they were heading. The language office was upstairs he could've sworn but Sunhwa was leading him to the old wing of the school building. He begins to panic and he stops walking,

"Umm Ms. Han? I have to get to my locker, I'm sorry I grabbed the wrong assignment," Daehyun tries to turn but in the blink of an eye he's being pushed down to the ground. The cat hybrid struggles as the wolf hybrid straddles him and sinks his teeth into his neck.

"Stop please!" Daehyun screams and through his bleary eyes he can see shocked red orbs staring down at him. He pushes her off of him rather violently and breaks into a run, his hand holding his bleeding skin as he desperately tries to get away.

And all he can smell is coffee.

 

Daehyun's solution to most of his problems in life was to simply run away from it. When he returned home with his neck covered in blood his grandparents had been more than shocked. There was no way he could tell them that he was bitten but he also couldn't tell them that he was afraid to see Han Sunhwa again.

And so he made up the most believable lie he could so that he could easily run away. That he was being bullied and he wanted to be homeschooled from now on. His grandparents could see how distraught he was and of course they eventually relented. 

A tutor came to their humble home thrice a week and Daehyun continued the rest of his first year as well as his second year that way. When he was well into his third year his grandparents had decided that they couldn't let him live this way anymore.

Daehyun had become paranoid, he covered his neck with every chance he could and they'd just assumed it was because he didn't want his scar to be shown. They weren't aware that it was a claim mark. And so they prepared what was most advised, they were going to send him home.

"Daehyun-ah, come down for dinner," his grandmother knocks on his closed door gently, her old and worn voice struggling to speak syllables. Daehyun emerges from his room and heads down the two steps which lead to the bedrooms. Dinner had already been served when he plopped himself down.

"We've been speaking with your parents, and we've decided to send you back home," his grandfather was a straightforward man, he wasted no time when it came to large ordeals like so. However, when it had come to Daehyun he felt that he'd dragged it out long enough.

"Back home... to mom and dad?" Daehyun can feel guilt brewing in his stomach and he resists the urge to gag. The egg roll now tasted like dirt in his mouth and he did his best to swallow. His grandmother looks at him with pity,

"What's been going on... it's just not healthy Daehyun-ah, you should finish your schooling at an actual school, with others," he looks down at his lap and he can't help but feel relieved that they were helping him out. Ever since he'd been claimed, he wasn't sure what the game plan was going to be. He definitely didn't want to be a farmer like his grandparents.

"Okay..." at least he could see his friends again.

 

"Daehyun?" He pulls his luggage free from the taxi's trunk and sets it down on the sidewalk before he lifts his head. The sight of a familiar face immediately makes his chest warm and his knees weak, he can't help the little smile that spreads on his face.

"Hi auntie," he whispers as Younha happily pulls him into a hug. Her kind eyes remain completely the same and her hair is shorter than when he last saw her, wrinkles sit in her clear skin and her ears are still the same chocolate brown colour they always were.

"Hyuna didn't tell me anything about you returning, how have you been?" Younha's voice brings a level of comfort that he would never understand, he loved his mother don't get him wrong, but Younha seemed to carry a natural motherly vibe with her. 

"I've been alright, I'm here to stay now, how's the family?" Daehyun asks as he plays with the handle of his luggage, he pulls it up and down and tries not to read too much into her twitching nose, rabbits had a sense of smell similar to cats. It's been years though so he doubts she knew his scent. It was something that developed as they reached puberty.

"Oh they're all fine, it's only my husband, Youngjae and I left," the sound of Youngjae's name immediately strikes a chord inside of him. He couldn't wait to see how the other had changed. Also, he could remember how the Yoo's home had been lively once upon a time, when 4 of the 9 children lived at home.

"I'm off to work now, it's good to have you back Daehyun-ah, Youngjae's missed you," Younha gently cups his cheek and she waves before hopping towards her car. Daehyun watches her drive off before he enters his own home, the door having been left open for him. 

His parents are no where to be seen and he wonders just how safe the neighbourhood was. A note as well as a single key sat on the living room table and he naturally assumes that it's now his. Daehyun hauls his suitcase up the stairs and sighs.

The door creaks upon being pushed open and he absorbs the image of the room he'd spent his childhood in. His previous bed was replaced with a larger one and it still sat right at the window. The rug, the dressers, almost everything remained the same, except for him.

Daehyun closes the door behind him and he sits down on the bed, without a second thought he opens the window and his eyes fall shut. His body slumps on the bed naturally and he takes a deep breath as he processes the fact that he's home again.

And he quite enjoys the fresh scent of Peaches that masks the sickening smell of coffee for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know how bad this chapter is aha
> 
> Badly written, rushed in all ways, the scenes are a little odd. This is basically the incident leading up to when Daehyun moves back home, the next morning is the second chapter where Younha tells Youngjae that Daehyun is back. The ages might be confusing because Daehyun is born in June and the school year runs from September to June in their town
> 
> To be honest I don't have a concrete idea of where they're from, it's not South Korea and it's not America/Canada either. That was my own fault, I should've paid more attention when writing. Sorry!


	14. Talk Derby To Me

A light touch to his shoulder and a soft singing voice is what wakes Youngjae the next morning. His body feels heavy and sluggish not to mention much too hot with Daehyun's body heat radiating next to him. Wait, Daehyun... his eyes shoot open and through his blurry fogged vision he can make out the silhouette of his mother looking down at him.

"Good morning Youngjae," she cooes down at her youngest child and Youngjae can't help but notice how her tone sounds oddly carefree despite finding her son with another boy snuggled in his bed. She then reaches over and scratches behind Daehyun's ear since his head is buried in Youngjae's neck and covered by the duvet. The cat hybrid stretches before he perks up with his eyes screwed shut,

"And good morning to you Daehyun," Younha greets him and Daehyun immediately forces his eyes to open, his jaw drops as he looks at his friend's mother with crusty eyes and remnants of drool on his chin, which Youngjae grimaces at considering his shirt has a weird patch on it now. 

"Your mother and father have been worried about you, we didn't exactly know you were here either," Younha directs this at both of them. They both failed to notify their parents of their impulsive actions and it'd caused some worry. In Younha and Seungho's case they rarely checked on Youngjae once they all retired for the night, in her case she came home late while Seungho just trusted his son would be sleeping or studying.

"I'm sorry, I'll head back right now," Daehyun mumbles and he awkwardly crawls over Youngjae who doesn't even bother trying to move for his friend's convenience. Younha steps back and she watches as Daehyun emerges from the sheets, thankfully with clothing on and her heart skips a beat when the cat hybrid casually makes his way over to the window.

"I'm not allowing you to do anything dangerous under my watch, plus you should face your parents head on," Younha places a hand on his shoulder and Daehyun sheepishly smiles before he nods and clears his throat. Daehyun turns and he bows at Younha before waving to Youngjae, to which his friend waves back. Once the bedroom door closes Youngjae meets his mother's gaze.

"You're going to school today baby, I can't let you skip again when exams are right around the corner. If you don't feel well then come home early but I want you to try at least," Younha runs her fingers through his greasy locks before she leans down and places a kiss atop his right ear. Youngjae smiles up at her before he realizes that Daehyun had left without his choker.

Younha takes her leave and Youngjae instantly leans forward to pick up the black leather from the floor. He stares at the worn material and it's not hard to tell that this is the very choker Daehyun wears almost every day, he occasionally wore a dark brown one so Youngjae assumed he washes them. Not that he thought about it, Daehyun hadn't even noticed that he didn't have his choker on, his claim mark had been clear for all of them to see.

Was it possible that he was getting over his complex? Youngjae knew that obviously things didn't happen that quickly but after the truth was revealed was Daehyun less burdened about his secret? The bunny hybrid could only hope so, Daehyun had gone through so much it was only fair that he was allowed to recover from the events that rendered him this way.

He decides to take a quick shower before school, he hadn't bathed in awhile and his hair was a mess. Youngjae brings his fresh undergarments as well as his school uniform into the washroom with him and he hangs them on the door before stripping down to nothing. With a glance at the mirror he can see how tired he is, sleep didn't come to him as easily as he'd liked.

Youngjae carries his toothbrush and the tube of toothpaste into the shower so that he can do his morning routine all together and he scrubs his body extra hard, the scent of coffee and chocolate is etched into his skin. He borrows his mother's body wash that was delightly scented as 'Strawberries and Cream' and he remembers to wash his ears before he gets out.

As soon as he's dressed he exits the washroom and tosses his clothes into the laundry basket. Youngjae walks towards his desk and he grabs his bag before making sure he has all of his books prepared. Then he makes his way downstairs where breakfast is being made. He settles himself down at the kitchen island across from his father.

"Morning, how are you feeling?" Seungho smiles at him and Youngjae shrugs, physically he was alright, mentally was a whole other story. Younha puts down a plate of potato pancakes as well as some freshly cut fruit and they all tuck in. It's been awhile since he actually just sat down and had breakfast with his parents, even if they didn't really talk, it was nice. Youngjae's phone buzzes in his pocket and he checks it with his cheeks stuffed.

 

From: Daehyun

To: Youngjae

Head to school first, I'll meet you there

 

Youngjae knows how parents are so he doesn't bother questioning and he sends a reply stating that he'll do just that. He finishes off his pancake and puts his plate in the sink before he gives his mother a kiss on the cheek and pats his dad on the back. 

"See you," he says with a wave before heading out the front door. Youngjae unconsciously glances at the Jung's front porch as he heads down the street towards school. It was definitely starting to get way too hot and he never liked the warmer seasons, especially not when he was fresh from a shower. Youngjae's ears also tended to overheat his head.

As Youngjae rounds the school gates he can't help but sigh in relief when he sees his friends waiting for him, they're currently occupying one of the benchs situated at the front of the school. He was earlier than usual today so they definitely had some time to just sit around for a bit, and he could've sworn that Himchan had a spare period for homeroom.

"Morning," Youngjae waves both of his arms wide in the air and he can't hold in his excitement. He can't tell if Yongguk returns the gesture because the eldest is currently fully submerged in his tub, he's also sitting under the shade of Himchan's wing. He has his left wing stretched out to accommodate his friend while the other remains hidden and snug against his back.

"Feeling better already?" Jongup asks as Youngjae squishes his way onto the bench, theorectically four teenagers shouldn't be able to squish themselves onto a bench and that is true but then again they were no average teeangers which was why Himchan ended up on the arm rest of the bench, his clawed feet perched there as he sacrificed his comfort for the sake of his dongsaengs.

"He better be, we all know he played hooky with Daehyun yesterday," Himchan scoffed and Yongguk emerged from the water just to nod in agreement before he slipped back under. Man it must be tough being cold blooded. Youngjae doesn't even bother denying it, there was no point since Himchan was stubborn and they were all friends anyhow.

"I mean you're not wrong, did I miss anything?" Youngjae casually leans his head on Junhong's shoulder and he releases the deep breath he'd been holding in. Around him he can smell peanuts, cereal, cologne and the ocean breeze, it was so comforting. The smells were so familiar and comfortable, his nose twitches as he picks up a rich scent and when he opens his eyes he sees Daehyun approaching them.

"Morning," Daehyun mumbles and the others acknowledge him through whispers of the same words, a grunt and some high pitched whines. He clearly sees that there's no space for him so he tries to sit on Youngjae's lap but he doesn't find it comfortable and ends up sitting on the edge of Yongguk's tub, which is a dangerous game because if he slips, it's instant submersion.

"Everyone's getting their acceptance letters, it feels like we're lagging behind," Yongguk gurgles through the bubbles and if they weren't hybrids with heightened hearing they wouldn't have heard it. For a moment things are silent and Youngjae can feel the tension itching between his fingertips, he adjusts his position so that his chin is on Junhong instead,

"Where did you apply to?" It's no secret that sometimes schools took a long time to respond. Especially schools that always have thousands of students applying every year. It also depended on the program they applied for, Yongguk and Himchan rarely mentioned things about school. They were the oldest yet they didn't mention post secondary or their ambitions in the slightest.

"Some universities and colleges close by, neither of us wanted to live in a dorm," Yongguk replies and Daehyun purses his lips. In that moment Youngjae realizes that the other has his choker on again, it definitely wasn't the same one that he'd forgotten in Youngjae's room however. The topic passes them swiftly as Jongup stands from the bench,

"We have 10 minutes till the first bell, I'm sure Youngjae hyung and Daehyun hyung will want their attendance slips before the morning rush," he tells them and Youngjae's eyes widen. He'd completely forgotten about that. If a student was absent and did not have their parents call in explaining why, they'd need to provide an excuse the next day. Most of the times a note would be provided by their parents and that was a done deal.

Youngjae didn't have a note today and since he skipped he can only hope his mother called in. If they didn't receive an attendance slip, they wouldn't be allowed to attend class for the day. The very thought makes him nauseous. And so while Himchan fights with his wing restraints, Junhong pushes Yongguk and they all enter the school.

"Do you have a note?" Youngjae asks Daehyun who's walking beside him in the front. Just as the cat hybrid is about to reply they hear snickering off to the side. Youngjae lifts his head and he sees two people who he recognizes in his grade but he doesn't know their names. The two are standing on the stairs along with two female bunny hybrids. Youngjae can only think of how rude it is to anyone who wants to use those stairs.

"You know Youngjae if you want to have a better time we're always available," Wonshik calls out obnoxiously as he winds his arm around the tall eared hybrid on his right. Youngjae himself came from a family of floppy eared bunnies, so she already didn't like him, he knew that from when she decided to snag his ear with duct tape. 

"Little kitty has a claim mark on his neck, but from what I know, bunnies can't mark," the group comes to a halt and Daehyun visibly pales at his secret being thrown out into the water. Youngjae doesn't even hesitate to stomp towards them, he's positively fuming because how dare they? They don't know anything, what makes them think they can assume things like so?

"You're not just a whore but you're a homewrecker too," Hakyeon throws his head back as if he'd just said the most hilarious thing and Youngjae crosses his arms, his foot taps threateningly and his tail twitches in pure anger. Daehyun doesn't know what to say, he takes a step back and bumps into Junhong who doesn't let him run. He feels a wet hand holding his own and he flinches,

"Look, I'm not in a good mood today so I'd appreciate it if you shut the fuck up," Youngjae growls and the fur on his ears furrow, Daehyun can tell he's downright infuriated. He'd never seen Youngjae so angry before,

"You don't know a _fucking_ a thing, so don't you dare run your mouth like you do. If you took your head out of your ass for just a second maybe you could see more clear. _Fuck off_ ," Youngjae glares them both down and he stomps down the steps before he takes Daehyun's hand and leads him towards the student services office. 

The rest of the guys don't question a thing and Daehyun is so thankful for that. Youngjae knows that they probably assumed one way or another, he just hoped that Hakyeon and Wonshik will take his advice and keep the secret about Daehyun's mark, he'd made sure to not confirm or deny anything but he didn't know if they've seen it before or not.

"Thank you Youngjae," Daehyun whispers and he squeezes the bunny hybrid's hand. Youngjae turns back and smiles at him, those bunny hybrid's have been hating him since he entered high school, even if he didn't directly stand up to them he felt good speaking his mind, even if it was for Daehyun in the end. Youngjae didn't want him hurt that way ever again.

 

With 10 minutes before the final bell, Youngjae makes his way out of his Advanced Functions classroom. To be honest he probably failed that test, he'd been way too distracted lately and studying had been the last thing on his mind. He doesn't care all too much, one bad test wasn't worth much, not when he could ace the exam and regain all his lost marks.

He decides to wait for his friends out front on the bench they sat on this morning. His teacher had told him that she'd let him go early if he left quietly so that she wouldn't get in trouble for dismissing a student before the bell rung. And so Youngjae put his math textbook into his locker and padded down the stairs towards the side exit, before he slipped out the doors.

He unbuttoned one of the buttons near the top of his shirt and fanned himself to get some air, the sudden humidity was already seeping deep into his skin and maybe waiting inside would have been a wiser choice. It wasn't like he could go back inside now though, none of the doors besides the front doors opened from the outside. With a sigh he trudges to the front of the school and plops down on the bench.

To his surprise he sees someone sitting at the bench on the other side of the doors, judging by her flowing white dress she was not a student and definitely not a teacher. She catches him looking and he can see a glint of gold in her eyes, Youngjae recognizes her. The female wolf hybrid stands from the bench and she elegantly makes her way towards him, Youngjae can only sit and stare.

Once she gets close enough to sit down her nose twitches and Youngjae can swear she heard a growl emitting from deep within her throat. Could it be the claim she has on Daehyun? Youngjae was well aware that he had the cat hybrid's scent as well as her own on him, but he didn't think it'd effect her this much. He'd never met a wolf hybrid before. She smiles at him and clasps her hands,

"Hello, you're Youngjae aren't you? I'm Sunhwa,"


	15. Candied Peach

"How do you know my name?" Youngjae narrows his eyes and he's in a defensive stance, ready to run if he needed to. He didn't trust her for whatever reason, she was dangerous. Sunhwa doesn't seem offended by his hostility and she shifts on the bench so that she can be more comfortable,

"Daehyun used to talk about you a lot, I've never actually seen a male bunny hybrid before," Sunhwa answers him and Youngjae doesn't want to hear anything else. He takes a deep breath and he hates the strong scent of coffee lingering in the air, 

"I don't like you and I don't care for what you have to say," Youngjae states bluntly and he feels no remorse for the hurt look in her eyes. Sunhwa may have meant something to Daehyun but to him she was a mere problem in their lives. She's the reason why his friend doesn't feel comfortable in his own skin.

"What do you hope to gain from forcing your way into our lives? Haven't you done enough?" A flash of red runs through Sunhwa's dark brown orbs and it startles Youngjae momentarily, he doesn't regret his words but now that he thought about it, if she claimed Daehyun that meant that she was an alpha.

Youngjae wonders why she's even here when Busan was so far away, other than what Daehyun's told him he knows absolutely nothing about her. Why was she approaching him of all people? Sunhwa holds the smile that she has and it only makes Youngjae feel worse, he feels like a child who's angry for no reason while she, an adult, tries to reason with him.

"After the... incident, I wasn't able to explain why it happened, Daehyun never gave me the chance to," Sunhwa begins and Youngjae crosses his arms across his chest. He can tell that Sunhwa doesn't understand what Daehyun went through after that traumatic ordeal, she's speaking of it like it was trivial when he's sure she would know the consequences of her actions most.

"Enlighten me then," Youngjae wants to her to hurry, he doesn't want her anywhere near Daehyun and no doubt the moment the bell rings the cat hybrid will come straight to him. 

"A few days before the incident, I passed by an omega with a strong scent, a scent so sweet that it triggered my rut," the new terms run in his head and he's trying to make sense of everything. Youngjae wasn't well versed on the complicated ways of the wolves, he naturally didn't like them much due to his innate senses.

"I wasn't able to control myself and as you know Daehyun has a unique scent, I wasn't able to control myself and I accidentally claimed him," Sunhwa explains and Youngjae resists the urge to scold her for being so careless. He did have to agree with her, Daehyun's chocolate scent was warm and it was nice to say the least.

"So what brings you here, after 3 years?" Youngjae tries to play off her reasoning, it wasn't like it meant anything to him after all. It didn't change what she did to Daehyun, it only gave her an 'excuse'.

"I wanted to apologize to him," the wolf hybrid looks down at her clasped hands and she traces the dirt swirled by the wind on the ground. Youngjae shuts his eyes from the dust in the air and when he opens them again he can smell a mixture of coffee and eucalyptus. He stands up and looks down at her,

"You've been claimed," he utters in realization and Sunhwa doesn't hide the bite mark evident in her pale skin. It looks so clean and pristine, she shows it with pride and it only brims more anger inside of Youngjae. 

"So you decide to come and apologize after your life has become all dandy and perfect?" Youngjae doesn't attempt to ridicule the life of claimed hybrids, he knows how wonderful it can be which is why he's so angry. Sunhwa only decided to fix things after her life fell into the right place, she didn't even care about how she left Daehyun's future in shambles.

"How selfish," Youngjae hisses and his foot taps violentely on the ground. Sunhwa's ears twitch as she listens to the sound and her eyes brim with a red under tone, he can tell she's losing patience with him. He shakes his head and sighs,

"I want to say no, but in the end the decision is Daehyun's. I'll be discussing it with him before you even think about coming close," Youngjae glares and Sunhwa in turn really feels no threat but she can feel a chill go down her spine. The bunny hybrid glances at his phone and sees that they have a few minutes before the last bell rings.

"So what does this mean for you, for Daehyun?" Youngjae asks quietly, what does the claim mark on her neck mean for them. What will happen to Daehyun and what does the mark in his skin mean now? Sunhwa purses her red lips and fiddles with her fingers,

"It means that I'll always want him but since he can't claim me back, it'll always be unfulfilled. However, now that I've been claimed in return by my omega, I belong to someone else. And my senses are now centred around my mate," Sunhwa explains,

"This also means that Daehyun will always carry my scent with him, because it lies in my mark but he has no emotional attachment towards me, not like I do for him," Youngjae narrows his eyes at this, how dare she make it seem like she was the victim? It was her fault to begin with. The bell rings and the doors burst open as students pile out in groups.

"Here, give me your number. If Daehyun refuses then you need to accept that, maybe one day he'll forgive you and if he does he'll find you. Don't come looking for him anymore please," Youngjae hands his phone over to her and she's silent as she does as she's told. Sunhwa doesn't wait another second before she begins walking away,

"Thank you Youngjae," Sunhwa smiles at him and a breeze rushes past them, her dress fluttering in the wind and he's overwhelmed by the scent of coffee. Youngjae politely nods and he bows at her,

"And thank you, for taking care of Daehyun when he first moved," Sunhwa laughs and shakes her head before she leaves without turning back. Youngjae sits back down on the bench and he looks down at the new number in his phone, as he's squinting at his screen in the sunlight a shadow falls over him.

"Did you just get someone's number? Are you cheating on me?" Youngjae turns to look up at Daehyun who's tail is swishing playfully behind him, he can't help but smile at the sight of the cat hybrid and Daehyun sits down beside him. 

"Who said we were together?" Youngjae teases and Daehyun rolls his eyes but he says nothing as he puts an arm around the bunny hybrid's shoulder, sitting him close enough that their thighs touch. They were comfortable like this, with no labels on their heads. They sit there unbothered while the students pile out and they ignore the curious glances shot at them. Although most of them knew that the only male bunny hybrid in the school was taken.

"Where are the others?" Youngjae asks nonchalantly, he can assume that the maknaes are at dance while the hyungs are doing other things, it always took Yongguk much much longer to actually leave the school building. Youngjae takes Daehyun's hand in his own and the cat hybrid stares at him in surprise,

"Come over later?" He whispers and Daehyun doesn't respond. Youngjae knows that the other got quite a lecture from his parents this morning, but he at least hopes that they'll be allowed to see each other, not that they could do much when they could easily sneak into each other's rooms after all.

"You two always look so sad when you're together," Himchan's flightly voice is what breaks them from their reverie and Youngjae doesn't let go of Daehyun's hand even though the other attempts to pull away. Of course he wouldn't hold Daehyun against his will but he's happy inside when the cat hybrid grows comfortable.

"There's just a lot going on all the time," Himchan doesn't press further because he knows there's more under Youngjae's words. From the abrupt return to the lion hybrid and much more that he wasn't aware of. He wouldn't pry into Daehyun's business however, not unless the cat hybrid wished him to. Moments later Yongguk comes strolling towards them in his wheeltub. 

"I don't have the car today," Yongguk answers their curious looks in a heartbeat. A small smile on his face as his scales shine in the sun, Himchan grunts and shields his eyes from the blinding sparkles. He removes his restraints and straightens out his wings, obnoxiously flapping them over Yongguk's tub until a feather comes loose and plops into the previously clear water.

"I hate you," the fish hybrid frowns and before he can do anything else Himchan is already wishing them goodbye as he ascends into the sky. Youngjae watches as he flies away and suddenly the thought of traffic lights in the sky makes him laugh to himself. Was there the same rules in the sky as there were on the ground? No doubt flying hybrids ran into each other all the time right?

"Come on, let's go, Junhong and Jongup are staying back for extra classes to prepare for the Literacy test," Yongguk wheels in front while the two mammal hybrids follow behind him. Youngjae vaguely remembers those days, even though for him it was last year.

"I thought they would be at dance?" Daehyun asks before he tilts his head and scratches behind his ear. Yongguk turns the corner and they do as well, staying on the right side of the sidewalk as they made their way down the street, the sounds of cars and the wheeltub's motor loud. 

"Not today, it's mandatory for all Year 9's and 10's to prepare for the Literacy test. They're still working hard for Provincials," Yongguk explains and his face into the water before he takes a deep breath, which will always be something Youngjae didn't understand. His lungs hurt just bearing the thought of breathing underwater.

"You ready for graduation hyung?" Youngjae asks when they reach their neighbourhood. Yongguk flits his fins and he scowls for just a second before he shrugs. Daehyun carefully let's go of Youngjae's hand and he wipes his sweaty palm against his uniform pants before taking hold of it once more.

"Is anyone ready for graduation? I'll see you two tomorrow," Yongguk laughs and waves goodbye as they stop in front of both their respective homes and Youngjae waits for the fish hybrid to safely get to the next block before he all but drags Daehyun inside. 

He pulls out his keys and unlocks the front door before he allows Daehyun to enter first and he follows afterwards, locking the door behind them. Youngjae's nose perks up at the sweet smell of carrot cake and he assumes it must be a real occasion, because his mother always refrained from using carrots in anything sweet because most bunny hybrids would have a sugar high if they ate one too many.

"Oh welcome home Youngjae, and welcome Daehyun," Younha greets them both and Youngjae is shocked to see his father at home as well. Daehyun stiffly but politely greets them both and Younha begins to tease the cat hybrid, thankfully not mentioning any details from when she woke them both this morning.

"Did you guys not go to work today?" Youngjae asks as he gives his mother a quick peck to the cheek. His father usually works till late while his mother leaves before he comes home and is off her shift in the early hours of the morning. Daehyun stands a little to the side as the other talks to his parents,

"I'll be going a bit later, your father on the other hand is... why don't you tell him, oppa?" Younha pulls the cake from the oven and all of the hybrids in the room immediately start sniffing the delicious air. Seungho glances at his youngest son as well as Daehyun,

"I'll be leaving for another business trip in two days," Seungho tells them both and Youngjae can't hide his disappointment. Not that he minded being alone with his mother, it was mainly the fact that he knew how lonely she would be. And bunny hybrids never did well when they felt lonely.

"For how long?" Daehyun brings himself to ask because it's clear Youngjae wants to but he isn't sure how. Seungho smiles at them both and Youngjae can see the bags of stress in his father's once youthful skin. 

"A month? Two months if I'm needed there much longer," Seungho answers truthfully and Youngjae nods, same as last time then. He doesn't say anything else and he makes his way up towards his bedroom with Daehyun in tow. The two teenagers enter his room and close the door to hide from the adults.

"So," Daehyun lets out the breath he was holding as soon as they were behind closed doors and Youngjae begins removing his uniform. The cat hybrid gives him some privacy by turning away and he makes his way towards the bed while Youngjae changes.

Youngjae dresses in a pair of pink soffe shirts and a large white t shirt, he also pulls on some knee highs white and pink striped knee highs because he feels like it. Only then does he sit himself down on the bed as well across from Daehyun.

"So," he returns the word and Daehyun laughs in amusement. The bunny hybrid doesn't miss the way the cat hybrid looks up and down his thighs, he rolls his eyes and slaps his arm to garner his attention.

"I mean you're the one who wanted me here, what's up?" Daehyun's tone sounds more serious towards the end, his eyes looking deep into Youngjae's to try and figure out whether something is wrong or not. As usual, Youngjae isn't the type to beat around the bush.

"Sunhwa approached me after school today, she wants to apologize to you," the way Daehyun's expression changes from concerned to downright fearful hurts Youngjae's heart more than he'd like to admit. Daehyun doesn't move a muscle, his eyes are trained to the duvet as they dart right and left, presumably from his numerous thoughts.

"Hey, you don't have to confront her if you don't feel ready to," Youngjae reminds him in a gentle voice. Daehyun inhales and exhales as he tries to calm himself down and Youngjae can only hold his hand, reminding him that he isn't alone.

"I-I'm not," Daehyun scrunches his eyes shut and his free hand unconsciously lifts to hold the side of his neck. Youngjae shushes him and he moves closer hoping to comfort the other with his scent. Daehyun immediately reaches forward and he holds Youngjae dear,

"It's alright Daehyun, you don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with anymore," Youngjae assures him and Daehyun shakes as he breathes in Youngjae's sweet and fresh scent, one that brings him so much ease. Daehyun pulls away just enough to nuzzle their noses and Youngjae grins before he pecks his lips.

Daehyun melts into a smile and he leans forward to capture those playful lips, a sigh of relief coming from him when he succeeds. Youngjae rubs soothing patterns on his knuckles and when they part Youngjae deletes Sunhwa's phone number. He kisses Daehyun's ear and hugs him close,

"Come on, let's study for our exams,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One main thing I wanted to point out here, Daehyun was not ready to face his trauma, not in the slightest, so it's perfectly okay that the whole Sunhwa issue isn't exactly 'solved'
> 
> Also, Sunhwa isn't exactly an antagonist or what not XD of course what she did is inexcusable but she's not a bad person, she didn't mean to hurt Daehyun. I'm not really vouching for her but I'm not gonna step on her along with all of you LOL <3
> 
> So yes in the story, it is solved (but to Daehyun he's still dealing with it ;;), no more issues will be occurring with Sunhwa, or anyone else for that matter. All of the issues have been solved ^^ there's only 3 chapters left and it's all smooth sailing from now on
> 
> Thank you for waiting~ 


	16. Luscious

Once again, Youngjae received a spam of messages in their group chat stating that a study meeting would be held at Jongup's on Saturday at noon. The bunny hybrid had awoken with a number of buzzes in his ear because he liked to keep his phone underneath his pillow.

As usual his friends didn't bother making plans till hours prior which is why at 10AM Jongup brought up the idea of a study session just before their final exams which began on Tuesday. Youngjae wasn't really a fan of studying, besides what he knew he had to memorize he mainly just completed the assigned reviews and left it at that. He was the type of person who disliked overworking his brain.

But to be very honest, Youngjae doesn't expect them to study at all. Let's be honest, a last minute study session was usually only scheduled because either Jongup or Himchan were starting to get bored with the lack of "hanging out" due to them being too busy. It was usually Himchan who caved first and he always managed to pull in Yongguk as well as Jongup whose house was their usual spot.

School had been suffocating anyhow so it didn't hurt to relax a bit before all hell broke loose next week. Youngjae knew for sure he was going to be there anyways, last time he tried to skip out on a study session, Yongguk and Himchan both banded together by squirting water at his window then proceeding to attack him with loud flapping wings. To which the bunny hybrid did not appreciate because his innate senses thought of their dear hawk hybrid as a predator.

And so after moments of contemplating Youngjae finally decides to get out of bed, he still had an hour and a half till noon and Jongup's house was a 10 minute walk anyways. Also, what was the point of being on time when everyone else wandered in later anyways? The first person was usually Yongguk, but he also doubled as the last person to arrive so nothing was really set in stone.

Hell, sometimes Jongup wasn't even there and it was his house. He sighs before he stands and stretches, his tail shakes as his face scrunches up. Youngjae exhales and he plugs in his phone to charge before he heads to the bathroom, upon passing the washroom he notices how Daehyun's nowhere to be seen. The bunny hybrid shrugs and he decides to hop into the shower, since he was feeling kind of sticky from the summer heat.

His type of rabbit breed didn't do too well when it was cold, and so turning on the air conditioning was always a risk his parents weren't willing to take, because worst comes to worst, their naturaly instincts drag them into hibernation. Which was possible for hybrids but since they were humans as well, it usually resulted in a long sleep in the hospital.

Youngjae hums a simple tune as he scrubs down his skin and when he turns too quickly his ear flops against the wall, it sounds oddly like a wet towel and he frowns at the occurrence. But he's also intrigued and he does so again before he cackles to himself in amusement. Wondering if the shower steam is getting to his head he decides to cut his shower short for the sake of his sanity.

Considering he didn't bring any clothes with him, he has to resort to covering himself in a towel and walking out the old fashion way. Which would normally be "sexy" but towels did not account for his tail which ended up leaving an open slit which exposed his skin, be it his thigh, his junk or his buns. And tying the towel right beneath his tail would just be traumatic for everybody.

He hobbles back to his bedroom quickly to avoid being seen and he also dodges the window view like a ninja. Youngjae then wraps the towel around his head to keep his ears and hair from dripping water as he reaches down into his drawer for some briefs. He opts for a safe white pair and decides on a pair of grey sweat pants along with a pastel pink t shirt. He didn't really care for fashion today, he just wanted to be comfortable.

Also wearing jeans around Yongguk was a mistake he didn't want to make again, it was also an unwritten rule that one should never wear socks around him. Youngjae finishes dressing in a hurry and he grabs his bag from beside his desk. Without thinking twice he begins to throw in all his reviews and his pencil case before he zips it shut. 

With one last glance to Daehyun's empty bed he leaves his room and heads down the stairs. Unlike usual days his mother is at work early, which leaves only his father who is working on his laptop in the living room. The man lays comfortably on his back with a pillow on his lap with his laptop sitting on top. He had his glasses on and his caramel ears were flopping to the side. 

Seungho had his index fingernail in his mouth and he was reading something with a serious look on his face. Youngjae wants to tell his father that maybe he works too hard but he knows how important work is to his father. It made sense after all, since he worked for a charitable organization that worked to save abused hybrids from corrupted businesses. As a male bunny hybrid himself, he felt the need for justice and his mother donated funds to the charity often. 

"Dad, I'm going over to Jongup's to study," Youngjae calls out to him casually as he walks over to the door and puts on his shoes. Seungho clicks on his laptop a few times before he sits up and looks at his son. He seems to do a scan with his eyes to make sure Youngjae won't be doing anything indecent before he gives a nod of approval,

"Alright, stay safe and text me when you start walking home. Also, don't worry about locking the door, I'll do that," Seungho says and Youngjae smiles before he nods as well, his parents had become more weary whenever he left the house on his own. Which was understandable and he was thankful for that, he also knew it'd get better with time so he didn't find it annoying at all.

Youngjae closes the door behind him and he heads down the street with a skip in his step. Daehyun hadn't said anything about walking with him so he didn't bother. It's been awhile since he just walked by himself and enjoyed nature. For once, Youngjae doesn't stuff ear buds (that never stay) into his floppy ears and he just listens to the sounds of the wind and cicadas around him.

It truly was beginning to look a lot like Summer and although he detested the warm months, he was thankful for them because of how colourful they were. He can hear the sound of children squealing as they play and it reminds him of his childhood. He really was lucky to have the same friends, although realistically the squealing didn't stop, they were a rowdy bunch when together.

Jongup's house is quicker to reach through the park and so he heads down the asphalt path with the keychains on his bag bouncing along with him. He smiles politely at anyone who smiles at him and he quietly makes his way through, slightly sweating due to his decision to wear sweat pants, it also don't help that his ears are like heaters on his head. He sees an old sheep hybrid and she grins happily at him, to which he feels his heart swell with happiness.

Youngjae finally arrives at the Moon residence and he rings the doorbell obnoxiously, they were corgi hybrids anyhow and corgis were known for always smiling. The door is opened by Jongup himself and the rush of air conditioning is welcome on Youngjae's sweaty skin, the younger steps aside to let him in and the bunny hybrid fans himself as he removes his shoes.

"So who's here?" Youngjae asks considering two of the four of them don't wear shoes (Jongup didn't count because it was his house) and he couldn't tell by shoes along. Himchan couldn't even wear shoes and Yongguk didn't have any feet. Junhong's shoes were huge tho and Youngjae could tell that the chipmunk was indeed already there. He follows Jongup to the basement,

"They're all here hyung, you came late for once," Jongup's tone holds a hint of teasing despite Youngjae arriving promptly at 12:04PM, the bunny hybrid merely shrugs and when they make their way down the stairs he can see Himchan on the floor huddled over his textbook and Junhong is reading a novel of sorts, Yongguk on the other hand is attempting to keep his books dry as he hovers his arms out of the water.

"Wow you're all here and you're studying? What a miracle," Youngjae announces his majestic presence and he only receives a middle finger from Himchan, an eye roll from Yongguk and a wave from Junhong. For once only one of the bean bags is occupied and Youngjae doesn't even hesitate to wander over before he plops his bag down and casually moves Jongup's things from the table before he sets himself down. 

"Where's Daehyun hyung?" Junhong asks Youngjae who arrived alone and his legs are so long they rest in Youngjae's territory, which the bunny hybrid doesn't mind all too much. Junhong always had nice socks anyways. He looks around and only then does he notice that the cat hybrid is missing, he shrugs and clears his throat,

"No idea, I haven't talked to him all day," Youngjae says with no illness in his tone. It wasn't like they texted or spoke every second of the day, neither Youngjae nor Daehyun had the time for that. Also, they liked to remind themselves that they were still their own person without the other attached to their hip. The rest of the group is used to Youngjae's nonchalance by now and they don't say anything to that.

"So what made you guys actually want to study for once?" The bunny hybrid perks up in the bean bag and the other guys all look at him. A study session with a group of students all from different years didn't usually work out as intended considering the younger guys didn't know any of the later material and the seniors basically forget as they learn.

"We thought it'd be a good prank," Yongguk admits and like a domino effect, one by one, they all drop their books and pens. Youngjae doesn't even know why they attempted to pull a prank and he only blinks at them. Himchan stretches his arms and his wings as well, the feathers brush against Jongup's ear as he shows off his magnificent wings. 

"No straps today?" Youngjae furrows his brows when he sees that for once the bird hybrid's wings are not restrained. Which wasn't a problem but it usually meant at some point one of them were going to get a mouthful of feathers and he had been the unlucky winner last time. Himchan sighs and he leans his head back onto the couch, to which Youngjae wants to ask why he isn't sitting on said furniture.

"My sister broke hers and she has work today so she stole mine while I was sleeping," Himchan explains and Youngjae is well aware that if there was anyone in this world that Kim Himchan could not fight against it would definitely be Kim Chanmi. Also, he didn't even want to ask how she possibly broke her restraints. The sound of the doorbell echoes through the home and Jongup gets up to go answer it.

They're all busy watching Yongguk turn in his wheeltub when Daehyun and Jongup come downstairs, Daehyun immediately goes for the couch and he accidentally knees Himchan in the head while he gets comfortable. He practically melts into the cushions and he curls up before he closes his eyes, 

"Wait why are you so late?" Youngjae can't help but ask. Daehyun seems to realize that he definitely won't be sleeping considering his friends were naturally loud and obnoxious so he turns to face all of them casually. He didn't even bring his bag with him, at least the others attempted to make it seem like they were going to do some work.

"I took a cat nap," Daehyun's ears twitch and his tail wraps around his own thigh as he relaxes. However a thought seems to come to his head because he sits up in a hurry and he waddles over to Youngjae who is comfortably sunken into the bean bag by now. He looks down at the bunny hybrid and what does he do? He pouts, in a very unattractive manner.

"Give me the bean bag," Daehyun demands and Youngjae sits there stunned by the sudden confrontation. A collective "ooo" circles round the room and Junhong casually scoots further away on his throne. Youngjae raises an eyebrow but Daehyun clearly doesn't look like he's going to relent any time soon,

"I haven't had the chance to sit on it for years, the least you could do is let me have it," Youngjae takes a moment to glance around at each of his friends and they're all giving him the same look of shame. He frowns and stands from his comfortable sack and he doesn't miss the chance to flick Daehyun as he settles onto the couch.

"Hey Yongguk hyung, how do you study? Like how do your books hold up at home, how are they not completely ruined?" Jongup asks and Yongguk blinks at the question. He could've sworn he's been asked this before but then again, if he couldn't even remember chances are the other guys didn't as well.

"Also how do you use pens in water? Doesn't it just not work?" Wouldn't you get ink in your house water?" Daehyun joins in and Youngjae finds himself getting more and more curious about their aquatic friend. Yongguk clears his throat and he doesn't know why his friends ask him such things,

"There are special textbooks for aquatic hybrids, the pages are like a plastic. As for writing things, I can't write underwater so I usually have to sit in my wheeltub in the one room in our house with no water," Yongguk explains. None of his friends have been inside his home (for obvious reasons) so he understands why they're confused at the prospect of a non water filled room.

"So does that mean one day we can all hang out in your house? Or maybe we should do the Spongebob thing but instead of water filled helmets, they're air filled," Jongup says and the others don't even want to start telling him what a bad idea that would be. So naturally, they ignore him.

"Hey hyungs, I have a question," Junhong pipes up and they all give him their attention. He holds up the book he was reading and Youngjae remembers that book from the mythology unit in Year 9. 

"Do unicorns exist?" Daehyun bursts into laughter while Himchan looks at him in disbelief. Yongguk is on the other side of the room and he doesn't have much of a reaction, he simply stares. Jongup on the other hand seems to be conjuring some kind of spectacular response and Youngjae sighs,

"How did you get unicorns from a mythology book?" Youngjae asks. He could've sworn that book mentioned nothing of the like. Junhong sits up and he puts the book onto the table, which only indicates that he intends to get deep into this topic, well as deep as he could without making everyone else bored.

"I mean, some mythological creatures are just mixtures between animals right? Or between humans, like horse hybrids are practically centaurs," Junhong points out and they have to agree with his point. Horse hybrids were responsible for a number of injuries, since they never obeyed traffic laws, considering they were "automobiles" themselves.

"So if you mated a narwhal hybrid and a horse hybrid, wouldn't you get a unicorn hybrid?" The whole room goes silent for a moment while they process these words inside of their heads. However, as usual that doesn't last very long,

"Who's hungry?" Jongup suddenly asks and Junhong mumbles angrily into the bean bag about how he needs better friends who will actually theorize with him even though he knows that the corgi hybrid will probably talk to him about it later. It was usually like that since the older hybrids weren't usually on the same page as the younger ones.

"What is there to eat? Because I swear you need to work on your food choices for us herbivores," Youngjae points out, considering he's the only herbivore in their friend group usually meant the other guys got luxury foods like hot pockets and pizza while he was subjected to a lovely pre cut vegetable platter. Jongup stares at him blankly,

"I mean, we can always remove the pepperoni and shrimps?" Youngjae doesn't even want to know what kind of horror pizza it is that they ordered and he shakes his head. 

"Just give me the damn platter," he grumbles and Jongup bolts up the stairs with a grin on his face. He returns with two medium pizzas and a plastic vegetable platter for Youngjae. The bunny hybrid didn't even smell it when he walked in so he wondered where the pizza had come from, while the others gather round the steaming goodness he sat on the couch with a frown.

"Look hyung, this time there's celery, carrots, tomatoes and even bell peppers!" Jongup speaks like he's in a commercial and Youngjae guesses his glare was stronger than he intended it to be because the corgi hybrid flinches and tosses him the goods. Youngjae sighs but he doesn't complain, considering he is quite hungry. 

"I also have this cucumber for you," Youngjae gasps as a cucumber lands in his lap. It's not cut and he doesn't even know if it's washed or not but he accepts it with a wry smile. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy just biting and enjoying the vegetable.

"Oh so Yongguk and I have been talking, and you guys know how Summer vacation is coming up?" Himchan asks after he finishes chewing his first bite of pizza. The others nod and the sound of Youngjae spiteful munching can be heard as he works his way through the cucumber,

"How about we go on a small road trip this Summer? We can go somewhere for Daehyun's birthday," Himchan smiles and Daehyun is touched that the bird hybrid even remembers his birth date. Then again Himchan often prided himself in knowing all of their birthdays and he never failed to try and celebrate in any way that he could. 

"Sounds good, might as well enjoy our Summer before you guys go off to Uni," Daehyun agrees with the plans and they all nod or hum in agreement as well. They were all quite lazy people but they were blessed with the abilities to save their lunch money, so even though none of them worked they still had some money to spend. Youngjae could imagine the disaster that was going to befall them but it wasn't like he didn't want to go.

"It's settled then, you guys better all pass your courses because if any of you have Summer school, I'm going to be really angry,"


	17. Summer Yum

After several hours cramped in Yongguk's car which was definitely only made for five people, they finally arrived at what seemed to be the beach. Well more like they passed by the beach because the motel was quite far from it, since all of the fancy hotels were nearby and being high school students/graduates with no jobs, they definitely couldn't afford it.

So when they parked in front of a dingy looking motel with letters from the sign burnt out, Youngjae wasn't too surpised. Then again, having known these guys for most of his life, not much caught him off guard anymore. Especially not while he was standing with his hands on his hips, ignoring the grunts of his friends behind him as they wrestled to remove Yongguk's wheeltub from the trunk.

It was only proving to be a nightmare because they were not very intelligent in how they had filled the wheeltub to the brim with their bags fulls of clothes, chargers, and deflated beach toys in Himchan's case. Youngjae was enjoying the breeze that tickled his nose while his friends struggled behind him, he could hear the calls of his names mixed with colourful language (courtesy of Junhong that disrespectful brat) but he was too occupied with the smell of Summer.

But then, a forboding wave of humidity brushed past him and it felt so disgusting that a layer of goosebumps erupted all over his skin. Youngjae was over this. He hated Summer and he wanted to get inside as soon as possible. He turned around and saw Yongguk hanging out of the driver's seat, his upper body was being supported by Jongup and he could see Himchan and Daehyun holding onto some of the bags while Junhong attempted to pull out the wheeltub.

"Why not just set the bags on the floor?" Youngjae suggests as he hurries over to help the chipmunk hybrid. He wasn't the strongest between them all, all height and no muscle, although he often swore that he'd become to muscular they wouldn't recognize him some day and Youngjae was horrified at the thought of Junhong's fluffy exterior changing into a buff one. Daehyun stares at him and his ears twitch before he sets down the bags, it just so happened to be a bright yellow backpack, and it just so happened to sit in the water that spewed from Yongguk's seat.

"ON A DRY SPOT," Youngjae emphasizes with a screech as he bolts over to the cat hybrid in a mixture of long strides and hops. He was in no way a hare hybrid but he could've sworn they were technically the same, just less of a colour variation. He picks up his bag in a swift motion, water flinging on the cars surrounding them. The other guys stand silent at the display in front of them, except for Yongguk who wheezes as the humid air enters his gills and his lungs, which puts in him an awkward place.

"Okay, all the bags go on a dry spot, we take down the wheeltub, we throw in Yongguk hyung and give him the water from our water bottles for now, then we all carry our bags inside. Sound like a plan?" Himchan holds up his hands and his wings unconsciously spread out as well, he'd refused to wear his harness during the car ride, complaining about how they'd ache afterwards and that his feathers would be ruffled. They were all prone to bickering but when someone actually committed to a resolution, they easily followed.

Together, they followed Himchan's instructions and Yongguk was returned to his form of transportation, the water they had only accumulated up to his hip though, so majority of his iridescent scales were exposed to the air, and the sunlight which reflected in all of their eyes in all of the wrong ways. On the floor was a sole red backpack left and it wasn't hard to tell who's it was.

"So who wants to help me carry my bag?" Yongguk asks and before he can say anything else, Daehyun tosses the pack right into the fish hybrid's lap. It makes a strange scratchy noise before it rolls with a glop into the small amount of water in the tub itself. They all stare at the red fabric as it slowly begins to darken as the water spreads and Daehyun doesn't look regretful in the slightest.

"Well all of his stuff ends up being wet anyways right?" The cat hybrid reasons and it easily appeases all of them, except for Yongguk who sinks deeper into his tub while he mumbles about discrimination and unfair treatment, all while clutching his bag close. At long last they enter the hotel and step into the lobby, they'd been outside working a sweat under the blazing sun over unpacking that the sad excuse for air conditioning was almost satisfying.

Youngjae waits for Yongguk and Himchan to address the front desk, since they were the eldest and they planned the trip themselves. Together, they move as a group to the front desk and the three workers behind the counter look at them with tired eyes. Youngjae can recognize a snake hybrid, a cat hybrid and a dog hybrid. The dog hybrid smiles at them,

"Welcome to the Seaside hotel, how may I help you? Also, you may replenish your water by that tap over to your left," he gestures to said tap and Yongguk quietly makes his way over with Junhong in tow to help him. Youngjae sends a glance at Himchan since he's the unofficial representative for their rowdy group of friends, the bird hybrid clears his throat and smiles,

"I'd like 3 rooms please, for three days and two nights," he requests and Youngjae holds in his sigh, of course they didn't reserve any rooms beforehand, heck he wouldn't even be surprised if they told him they'd chosen this particular hotel by pure coincidence. Yongguk and Junhong return to them and the chipmunk hybrid is now sporting a red backpack alongside his blue one. 

"Will you be needing one water room?" the dog hybrid inquires and they all turn to the fish hybrid who's fully submerged in his new water so he can't really hear what's going on around him. Himchan looks at the others as though he's trying to mentally divide them based on some kind of criteria within his head. Youngjae gasps when Daehyun wraps his arm around his waist, pulling him in close.

"Yes," Himchan answers simply and he then turns to the man to give his details and payment. They'd all agreed that Himchan's mother's credit card would be used and that they'd all pay her back when they returned home. Youngjae gently wiggles his way out of Daehyun's grip but he holds his hand to keep those plump lips from forming a pout. 

"Up to the third floor kids," Himchan takes the responsibility of pushing Yongguk and they all head towards the elevator, Jongup presses the button with an upwards facing triangle and they wait patiently. Daehyun continously rubs Youngjae's hand with his thumb and the small but intimate action makes the bunny hybrid smile, he meets the cat hybrids eyes and they knock foreheads.

"They're so cute I'm disgusted. Anyways, what are the plans?" Jongup says as he turns away from the display of affection and the two part soon after, satisfied with each other. Himchan hums for a moment, there wasn't much for them to do than visit the beach and lounge around while eating. It's just a matter of what wants to be done first, but then again they stopped by a McDonald's before they left to get some breakfast.

"Do you guys want to head straight to the beach or do you want to rest up a bit. We're here for Daehyun's birthday but that isn't till tomorrow so I don't have much planned for today other than that," Daehyun perks up and he purses his lips before lowering his head once more. He only really cares about one thing and it has nothing to do with their plans,

"How are we splitting the rooms?" He asks as they enter the elevator and Junhong presses the button with a 3 on it. The doors close and they're quiet as the elevator ascends to their designated floor. Yongguk's gills flutter as he breathes and the sound soothes them all to some extent. They exit the confined space and make their way down the carpeted hallway towards they're rooms.

"Yongguk, your room is on the other side where all the other water rooms are, Daehyun and Youngjae in one room, the maknaes with me in the other," Himchan splits up their keycards and the maknaes can't really complain. It wouldn't be fair for Himchan to get a room on his own (it was mostly because it'd be too much money) and the birthday boy should be left alone with his special person.

"You think this place is haunted?" Junhong mentions since they're all kind of standing around staring at each other. Youngjae takes a look left and right and it's clear that this building has some age to it, the walls aren't bright and the carpet beneath their feet looks frayed and worn. The hallways are narrow and the rooms aren't too far apart, he wasn't even sure how big they were.

"Well if I happen to die, I'm haunting all of you," Youngjae threatens and he takes his time looking at each and every one of their faces, including Daehyun's. Himchan and Yongguk both nervously mumble about expenses and availability for water rooms and that gets Youngjae curious about one thing. 

"How do you sleep hyung? On a bed? On a bed made of like algae? How do you sleep," Youngjae frowns as he blurts out questions and the revelation spreads to each and every one of them, which brings all their attention to the fish hybrid. Yongguk slicks back his wavy long locks and his eyes dart back and forth while he attempts to come up with a plausible answer that will please them.

"I suggest we all get settled in before he head down to the beach, it'll take us awhile to get there and we don't want to burn under the noon day sun," Yongguk says before he actually uses the mechanics of his wheeltub for once and he whizzes down the hallway to his own room. The other guys just sigh before they turn towards their respective rooms, promising to change and come back out.

Daehyun opens the door for them and Youngjae can see that it was truly worth it's price. There was a bathroom off to the right and the room had two standard beds along with a desk and a television. There was an average sized window with a blue curtain over it and there was a sole lamp in the corner of the room. Youngjae walks over to the curtain after tossing his bag on what bed he was claiming his own and he looks outside.

"Pretty good view," he says quietly and Daehyun naturally hugs him from behind, curling his tail around Youngjae's thigh instinctively. Their view was nothing more than another building as well as an alleyway but what could you expect from the third floor in a decent sized hotel? Youngjae turns his head when he feels Daehyun poking his cheek and when he does, their lips meet in a gentle kiss.

Youngjae smiles and presses their bodies together as he turns, arms raising to wind around Daehyun's shoulders as their lips part. He grins and pecks him again, loving the comfort of it all. Their eyes fall closed and Youngjae hums when Daehyun presses a kiss to his ear, he tilts his head and his mouth falls open with a whimper as the cat hybrid showers his sensitive ears with wet kisses.

"Come on, we have to get dressed for the beach or Yongguk hyung will get upset," Youngjae says with a small smile and Daehyun rolls his eyes playfully, kissing Youngjae one last time before he really does pull away. They go to their own bags and pull out their swimwear and towels, along with sandals and or flip flops. Daehyun sighs and throws himself down on the bed, flinching when a spring from within pops.

"This isn't even his hometown, why is he so excited?" Daehyun mumbles and he doesn't bat an eyelash when Youngjae begins to change, he removes his jeans and boxers before slipping on red swim trunks and a large white t shirt. He knows not to oggle because well, Youngjae deserves some respect and if he trusted him enough to change in front of him, well he was going to give him a reason to continue trusting him.

"The whole ocean is his hometown, get changed Daehyun," Youngjae says and at that the cat hybrid clearly isn't very impressed. He huffs and sits up before removing his shirt, but then he realizes that his shirt doesn't need to be changed so he puts it back on. Daehyun scoots to the end of the bed and he rummages through his bag to find his grey swim trunks.

"The whole ocean can't be his hometown, he has to be like Pacific or Indian or Atlantic right? Or maybe he's from a river or a lake somewhere in Canada," Daehyun states rather intelligently and Youngjae has to pause to think about his words. Of course it'd just be easy to question the fish hybrid himself, but he was so secretive and barely answered any of their questions anyways.

"Just put your shorts on Daehyun," Youngjae says instead, his brain was hurting from unnecessary calculating and this was supposed to be his summer vacation dammit. He sits down on his bed and crosses his legs as he shamelessly stares as Daehyun slip his pants off and shimmies into his swim trunks that definitely cupped his ass nicely, and it was fun to watch him slip his tail through the slit. 

"Speaking of shorts, why aren't your yellow? It's your favourite colour right?" Daehyun asks nonchalantly as he shoves his pants into a plastic bag before he puts it back into his backpack, Youngjae is about to tell him that they'll be staying here for a few days so he could be a bit more free with his things but he decides not to. He turns around and bends over so that Daehyun can stare at his tail and maybe his bum as well if he'd like to look.

"My fur is caramel, if I wear yellow it doesn't complement it," his tail shakes for emphasis and Daehyun swallows his saliva before nodding. After they finish getting ready, they grab their towels and phones before they leave the room. Youngjae almost forgets the keycard however and Daehyun is forced to catch the door and run back inside for it. Himchan and Junhong are already waiting for them in the hallway.

"Where are Jongup and Yongguk hyung?" Daehyun asks and they immediately give their phones to Junhong who's sporting a fashionable fanny pack, he'd said something about leveling up his fashion sense before the new school year. Just as he asks his question said corgi hybrid emerges from the room and he scratches behind his ear before he sneezes.

"Bless you, now let's head down to Yongguk's room," Himchan begins to make his way down the hallway and naturally the others follow. Youngjae takes note of how the bird hybrid's claws grip into the carpet, pulling out small threads whenever he takes a step. They arrive at the end of the hallway where the water rooms are located and considering they didn't know which room was Yongguk's they waited for Himchan to knock.

"Do you think he can hear the knocking? Through all of the water? Wait but if it's a water room, how does the door open without spilling water everywhere... you know what? We're going inside," Junhong hops from one question to another before he too begins bashing on the door and it opens after a few minutes of continuous noise. To their surprise, Yongguk is on the ground.

"Why are you guys always so loud?" He grunts before lifting his head, his head is dripping water and he sprays a bit as he speaks which effectively makes the other guys back off. Youngjae peers into the room and it seems to descend into a pool of water, Yongguk's wheeltub is to the left of the door and there seems to be a stairwell behind the fish hybrid.

"Whoa, your room is down there?" Youngjae ignores the fish hybrid's clear warnings and he steps into the room carefully, not wanting to accidentally pollute Yongguk's water somehow, not that he'd know how the filtering system worked. Through the clear water he could see a room that's walls resembled a swimming pool, there was a bed and a large window pane, he was about to make a snide comment but he decided not to.

"It's looks like a fish bowl," Junhong points out and Youngjae glances at him, horrified. Why did he have no filter? Sure, they'd all been thinking it, but at least neither of them had the decency to actually say it. To say Yongguk was amused was at understatement, he was so amused he was glaring death at each and every one of them, and only Youngjae and Junhong had said anything. Himchan clears his throats and the younger hybrids immediately step out of the room.

They watch as Yongguk flops into his wheeltub and water splashes from the side, but he replenishes the source with a tap sticking out from the wall. Yongguk's wearing his usual wet suit type of top and he freezes when a rubber ducky plops into his tub, he looks up at the guilty culprit who's face is contorted as he tries his best not to laugh.

"I brought toys for everyone, this one is yours," Himchan laughs through gritted teeth and everyone stares at him then back at Yongguk, pleading with their eyes because they had nothing to do with this for once. Yongguk rolls out and his door shuts behind him. He slowly peers up at each and every one of his friends through his long fringe and he smirks,

"You can all beg for my mercy when we're in the water," he says in a sinister tone before he drives his wheeltub towards the elevator. They all send glances at each other before clearing their throats and they casually approach Yongguk with no mentions to the earlier threat at all. It wasn't usual for the eldest to be even remotely "mean" but it happened sometimes when they all pushed him too far.

 

Quietly, they exit the hotel and Youngjae gets the weird feeling the snake hybrid is staring at him but he chooses not to turn around. They all head left and don't bother going to the car because the beach was but a few blocks away. The sun is beating down on top of their heads and aside from Junhong who's sporting a bucket hat, all of their heads are bare. 

"It's so hot," Junhong complains and his tail whips back and forth, it's not long enough nor thick enough to provide any kind of air so it just tires him out. He looks over to Himchan with pleading eyes and the bird hybrid has his phone out as he snaps artsy photos of the sky. Jongup is pushing Yongguk to attempt to appease his anger while Daehyun and Youngjae follow behind, their hands touching but not holding, since it was too hot for that.

"Himchan hyung, mind fanning me with your wings?" the chipmunk hybrid asks and Himchan stops walking for a second, Junhong stops as well and the others naturally pass them before stopping to speculate. Himchan spreads his wings before he turns and successfully flaps an airful of sand at the chipmunk hybrid. Junhong gasps and stumbles for a moment,

"Stop being a brat," Himchan says to him before he makes his way back to where he was previously was. Junhong mumbles and wipes his face as he catches up as well, pouting all the while. Youngjae pats his back as a form of encouragement but that's about all he can do, Junhong was bound to get scolded by one of the hyungs today, he was just unlucky for it to have been Himchan. Jongup sighs and he shakes his hips a little as he walks,

"Do any of you guys have water? I'm so thirsty," he asks and they all shake their heads, only Himchan had brought his bag while the rest of them only their towels slapped around their heads and necks as a form of shade. As teenage boys who didn't really care about their skin yet, sunscreen wasn't exactly a necessity, although Himchan probably brought some and would be cursing at them to slap some on later.

"We're almost there hyung, then there'll be all the water you need," Junhong mentions and Jongup has to remind himself that he was responsible for steering their dear fish hybrid. Youngjae's ears twitch as he hears the sound of drunken laughter off to the side and when he turns he sees a man and a woman, arms linked as they sway side to side, cheeks pink from intoxication. It was barely noon.

"I can't drink sea water Junhong. Hey, Yongguk hyung, is your water drinkable?" Jongup asks the forbidden question and Yongguk doesn't even bother asking, he simply submerges himself and without warning he lifts up his tail and smacks Jongup on the shoulder area causing the corgi hybrid to fall over. The impact is definitely no joke, from how loud it sounded and how quickly it all happened.

"We're here, umm let's go play?" Youngjae points out as they reach a boarded walkway that leads from the sidewalk to the beach. They find a nice spot beneath a tree to put their stuff down and Daehyun immediately makes himself comfortable on the towel he'd brought with him. Himchan is busy chasing the maknaes telling them to put on sunscreen while Youngjae squats down beside the cat hybrid.

"Not swimming?" He asks with a cheeky grin. It was a known fact that cats did not like water, and Daehyun was definitely living proof of that. He disliked being in the water with a passion, with the exceptions of bathing or cleaning himself in the shower, he did not like swimming and he hated leaving the house on rainy days. Himchan returns to them out of breath and he bends down to grab something out of his backpack.

"Here, this is for you. I knew you wouldn't swim so I thought of you," Himchan grunts and the sound of plastics hitting against one another is heard before he pulls out something held together by a net. Daehyun catches it and holds the object up to the sky to see what it was. It was a sandcastle set. It included a bright yellow bucket, a red shovel and a blue fork, it also had a bright green 2$ sticker on the tag. 

"Also, mind buying us a watermelon or two? And maybe a bat? Jongup mentioned some kind of watermelon smashing activity he saw in an anime," Himchan ushers him off and Daehyun's jaw drops. Does that mean he has to bring everything along with him? Where the heck is he supposed to find a shop or shops that sell watermelon and bats in an area he's unfamiliar with. 

"Don't worry there's a seaside shop on the other side of the beach, they should have both right?" Himchan asks no one in particular and he leaves the cat hybrid with his wallet. Then he takes the liberty of flying down to the water, Jongup is forced to carry Yongguk and before they leave they make sure the fish hybrid is secure on his back since falling on the sand could damage his scales.

"Hey Yongguk hyung, aren't you a freshwater fish? How are you going to breathe in saltwater? Will you be okay?" Jongup sounds genuinely concerned and Yongguk just stares at him dumbfounded. He wriggles around in the corgi hybrid's arms to try and find some kind of grip because he's slipping and his fins are already touching the sand.

"I'm a hybrid Jongup, those rules don't apply to me. I was born in the ocean," Yongguk says and only more questions arise but the fish hybrid is busy smacking the corgi hybrid like he's a horse and he's making obnoxious noises as they rush towards the deep blue sea. Daehyun watches them rush out and he only feels more thankful that he doesn't have to deal with it, he hates having wet sand on his skin. Although just sitting here he could already feel it seeping into his shorts.

"Daehyun," Youngjae's voice turns his attention elsewhere and he turns to see the bunny hybrid standing beside him, the spots of sunlight peering through the tree leaves shading them from above create patterns on his face and his body, he looks beautiful. Youngjae looks down and he smiles before he gestures to the bottle of sunscreen Himchan had left on the towel for him to apply.

"Won't you help me?" Daehyun's jaw drops as Youngjae begins to lift up the hem of his yellow shorts, they're large and loose so he pulls it up to his upper thigh, showing the bottom of his ass cheek. Youngjae licks his lips and he winks as Daehyun's face flushes red, not only that but the vixen shakes his tail and he knows how much that excites the cat hybrid.

"I can't reach back here Daehyun," Youngjae all but moans and he drops his shorts to lift up his shirt, he pulls off the fabric in a swift motion and the scent of peaches catches the breeze, blowing right into Daehyun's heart. Before he can get too excited however, Youngjae snorts and he bends his back as a bout of laughter erupts from his lips, he grins and flicks Daehyun on the forehead.

"You pervert, go and buy the stuff for Himchan hyung and cool off your head," Daehyun's expression changes into one of pure betrayal and he sulks, his ears laying flat on his head as his tail flicks dangerously behind him. Youngjae kneels down in front of him and closes his eyes as he touches their noses together, he leans upward and licks a stripe up Daehyun's ear,

"Just wait a little longer, I'll reward you tonight," he presses a chaste kiss to Daehyun's lips and before the cat hybrid can react he's already prancing down the beach and into the water along with the others. He sighs and decides to quickly head out and back before he loses the motivation he already doesn't have, although he is more excited about wasting time so that the night can fall already.

Daehyun reluctantly gathers all of their things and he gracefully empties Yongguk's wheeltub before plopping himself inside of it. It takes him a second to get the mechanics down but when he does, he's whizzing down the streets to the other side of the beach where Himchan had said there was a seaside shop. A part of him wants to grumble about how this was a trip to celebrate his birthday and they chose the one place he'd hate the most but he doesn't because he's thankful in the end.

As he reaches the small store that has coolers sitting on the sand he really does hope they have watermelon and bats. If not he'll have to make do with what he can find because they didn't expect him to travel far for a stupid anime activity did they? He probably shouldn't ask that, no doubt Jongup became serious when it came down to his anime. Daehyun parks the wheeltub in the sand and he wonders why Yongguk doesn't just drive himself around, it's so much more convenient.

He enters the shop that has an old worn banner hanging from the top and he sees that it's empty aside from the cash register who appears to be a college student who really needed a summer job that he doesn't like. Daehyun enters and since there isn't much for him to search, he doesn't bother asking for help. He heads to the back of the shop and he sees a watermelon, his releases a breath of relief and proceeds to look around for something to smash it with.

Daehyun first grabs the watermelon and he sees a wooden plank sitting against the wall, doesn't hurt to ask he guesses. The only other things in the store are cold drinks and candy, some fruits and also some old swimwear, goggles, toy snorkel gear and inflatable floaties. He casually walks over to the plank and looks the college student in the eye,

"How much is this?" Daehyun tries to sound as casual as possible, as if he isn't asking for the price of something clearly not for sale. He swallows hard as they guy gives him the worst case of stink eye he's ever gotten, and Daehyun has gotten some pretty bad stink eye, mostly from Youngjae. The cat hybrid gulps and only then does he notice this guy is a bull hybrid.

"That's not for sale dude, it's just a leftover from a crate," the bull hybrid looks so confused and even slightly concerned that Daehyun feels his embarrassment welling up inside of him. He takes a deep breath and forces a smile, his tail naturally wraps around his own thigh, a habit he gets sometimes when he feels intimidated or nervous. 

"Would it be alright if I have this? You're just going to throw it out right?" Daehyun can't help but notice how his voice is shaking and usually he was a man of confidence but even he felt weird by asking for a piece of scrap wood like this. The bull hybrid looks from the plank to the watermelon in Daehyun's arms back up to his face and he seems to be trying to piece something together.

"That'll be $13" he says finally and Daehyun's eyes widen in disbelief. 13 dollars for a watermelon? They weren't in a drought or anything and the watermelon wasn't even that appealing. Nonetheless he does as he's told and he pulls out Himchan's wallet before slapping the money on the counter, the student seems pleased and he nods as he counts the coins.

"10 for the watermelon and 3 for the wood, have a good day kid," Daehyun was about to argue about professionalism to customers but he didn't want to risk taking much longer than he already had. Knowing his friends, they probably lost interest in swimming a few minutes ago, especially if Yongguk was torturing them in his element. He could picture his friends hiding on the land while Yongguk was confined to the sea with his wheeltub gone.

Daehyun sighs and he hopes Himchan brought some plastic bags (that they will clean up afterwards) for sanitary reasons. He exits the shop and drops the plank and watermelon into the wheeltub before he's on his way once more. He returns to the sidewalk and speeds back to where he'd left his friends, feeling quite proud of himself and his accomplishments. 

To his surprise all of his friends are waiting for him, they're all standing in the shade and it seems like they've been taking turns carrying Yongguk. It's completely different from what he pictured and for a second he's concerned. After peering out at the ocean it seems like not many people are playing in the water. Daehyun parks the wheeltub and removes their things so that his friends could dry themselves off.

"There's a jellyfish hybrid in the sea at the moment," Youngjae explains as he takes his towel from Daehyun who then perks up to see said hybrid but naturally he can't see anything from this distance. Yongguk flops into the wheeltub once it's empty and his skin slides across the interior which results in a very unattractive sound that makes them all cringe. 

"Well at least we can enjoy some good 'ol watermelon smashing?" Daehyun suggests and he lifts said fruit along with the damned wooden plank he'd so painstakingly achieved. Needless to say, it's clearly not a bat which makes both Himchan and Jongup utterly confused. He awkwardly coughs as Yongguk casually makes his way to a changeroom on the sand, probably to steal some water from the tap on the side of the hut.

"The seaside shack didn't have a bat so we'll have to make due with this, go set up a towel and cover this thing with some plastic wrap, which I know you brought Himchan hyung," Daehyun sighs and Yongguk returns to see them setting up something completely foreign to all of them. Jongup reaches for the towel around his neck and holds it up,

"So basically, someone gets blindfolded and they have to follow their friends' directions to smash the watermelon. I guess I'll go first?" Jongup doesn't wait for anyone to object and to be honest none of them were going to, the corgi hybrid was so excited his tail was shaking. He ties the towel securely around his head and he waves his arms around before Himchan places the wooden plank in his hands which feels much more awkward to hold onto.

An array of various instructions erupt from the other hybrids and poor Jongup get's so confused he doesn't know who's voice he's following. He listens to the general instruction which is to step forward three steps and to step right before swinging straight down. However, Jongup can't see and therefore he doesn't notice that his first swing knocks the watermelon off of the towel and into the sand.

The corgi hybrid seems to gain some kind of innate samurai skills and he smashes down the plank right onto the watermelon, effectively bursting it open onto the sand. They all stare in disbelief and since the watermelon is so ripe, it's practically granulated inside and cleaning off the sand was not even close to an option. Jongup notices how they're all silent and when he removes the towel from his sight he sees the results of his actions.

"Umm... so does anyone want ice cream? Treats on me,"

 

Youngjae thoroughly cleans himself in the shower, his eyes are closed as he hums along to the music playing from his phone. After the watermelon smashing incident, they were treated to ice cream and then forced to walk around to talk multiple pictures deemed worthy by Himchan and Daehyun for their Instagram accounts. By evening, they'd gone out to a local diner for dinner and retired to their own rooms for the night.

Both he and Daehyun had gotten numerous hints from the other guys, who knew that the two planned something special for tonight. They'd gone for a walk down by the beach and now they were back at their hotel room with about an hour till midnight. Youngjae had been planning this in his head for weeks and he wanted to make sure everything was remotely perfect. 

He makes sure to clean himself properly since neither he nor Daehyun had any interests in scat play. The videos he'd spent hours watching had been very informative and he'd made sure to practice beforehand so that he wouldn't hurt himself on the night of. Since Daehyun didn't go into the sea water he didn't need to really wash off but he'd already washed off any remnants of sand before Youngjae did.

Youngjae gets out of the shower and he takes his cleaning tools with him before he sets them down on the counter. His ears are dripping water and it's making him uncomfortable with how heavy they are so he hurriedly dries them with a towel. Youngjae quickly dries off his body as well before throwing a large t shirt overtop, he doesn't even bother putting on underwear and he leaves the bathroom.

Daehyun who's currently sitting on his bed cross legged, turns to look at him. The room is dim apart from the warm light shining from the lamp in the corner, Youngjae smiles at him and he tries his best hand at sexy walking but Daehyun isn't having any of it considering he leans over and pulls the bunny hybrid right to him. Of course, it becomes a tangle of limbs and a manly squawk from Youngjae since his body and Daehyun's body aren't in the slightest bit aligned.

"You didn't dry your ears," Daehyun says in a low voice and Youngjae freezes, he usually let them air dry after an initial scrub. He was mostly too lazy and his towel was usually already wet from the rest of his body so when he reached his ears his towel would be soaked. Youngjae positions himself so that he's sitting between Daehyun's spread legs and he leans back against him.

"Would you like me to groom you?" Daehyun whispers and Youngjae wants to burst out into laughter at the ridiculousness of it all but at the same time it seems really endearing, quite personal in that matter. So he nods. He rests his head on Daehyun's chest and the cat hybrid gently begins licking his ears. The feeling makes him shudder from how sensitive his ears were but he can feel his body heating up.

Daehyun wasn't exactly a cat so he didn't have a barbed tongue, that'd be horrifying for whenever they made out anyways, but it still brought a sense of comfort. He wasn't even sure if Daehyun was drying his ears in the slightest but the action made him feel safe. With Daehyun against him like this with no secrets between them, he truly did feel safe.

"Why do I feel like you're messing up my fur?" Youngjae laughs as soft lips tickle his ears, Daehyun's heart sings at the sound and he feels warmth deep inside. Being together like this was all he wanted, things may have been unnecessary and difficult earlier on but in the end they were learning and growing together. Youngjae opens his eyes when the kisses stop and he meets Daehyun's serious gaze, looking straight through him.

"What're you looking at?" Youngjae snorts and anyone else would be completely turned off since the bunny hybrid had quite the obnoxious snort but Daehyun was mesmerized. There'd been a point in their time apart when he realized that what he felt for Youngjae had gone beyond friendship and although he'd been confused at first, being back with him confirmed it all. 

"You," Daehyun answers and they both cringe at the cheesy talk. But at the same time it makes them happy, sharing each other's body warmth like this. The room was quite cool now that the temperature has dropped and the air conditioning was beginning to seem more effective than before. As Daehyun thinks about useless things he's suddenly attacked with a questioningly aggressive kiss that sends him toppling back onto the bed.

Youngjae has a mischievous glint in his eyes as he hovers over the cat hybrid, licking his lips. Daehyun unconsciously looks down at Youngjae's thighs and if his long shirt lifted up any higher he'd be able to see the bunny hybrid's family jewels. He grunts as Youngjae takes a seat on top of his crotch and he can feel the other's bare butt through his boxers.

"Would you like your reward Daehyun? Tell me, what would you like?" Youngjae all but whispers and Daehyun's ear flick wildly on his head, his tail has already made it's way towards Youngjae's waist but the bunny hybrid playfully swats it away as he kneels above him. Youngjae slowly let's his hands trail along his own body, showing off his collar bone and his hips but never enough to expose himself, he smirks and strokes his own ear.

"Would you like to touch me? Here? Perhaps maybe, here?" Youngjae's voice sounds bright like a melody, he touches his own thighs and pinches his own nipple over the fabric, a little squeak erupting from his lips. Daehyun pants beneath him, eyes lidded as he follows the movement of Youngjae's fingers. The bunny hybrid clearly enjoys the power he has over the cat hybrid and he giggles lightly,

"Or would you like to put your dick inside of me?" He asks in an innocent tone as he suddenly turns and bends over, Youngjae's shirt lifts up and he spreads his own butt cheeks, showcasing his hole as well as his tail. He knows how weak Daehyun is for his tail and it's clear by the way the cat hybrid's expression immediately changes. Suddenly, Daehyun's hands make their way to Youngjae's ass and the bunny hybrid gasps as he's roughly groped.

"I'd rather you sit on my face," _wait what_? Youngjae's mind goes into a panic as he's pulled back and he loses his footing, he lands on Daehyun's face with quite the impact and he hurriedly sits up to look down at him. Daehyun's face is scrunched up in pain and his nose seems to have taken the fall, Youngjae can't help but laugh as he checks the damage,

"I thought I was going to smoosh you with my ass," he says and Daehyun rolls his eyes before he presses a kiss along Youngjae's soft skin. He lets his hands wander and he gets a good grip on the bunny hybrid's hips. Daehyun successfully shuts Youngjae up with a long stripe over his orifice, the bunny hybrid's tail shakes as he takes in the new sensation.

"This is embarrassing," Youngjae mumbles as though he hadn't just been the biggest tease. Daehyun rubs his thumbs in circular motions in an attempt to ease him which only erupts goosebumps on his thighs. Youngjae looks down at Daehyun's bulge in his boxers and he wonders if he should do something about that, he'd never actually done any kind of sexual activity with anyone else before.

"If you don't like it, tell me alright? I'm trying this out for the first time as well," Daehyun mumbles and he isn't exactly sure how rimming is supposed to work but he remembers how much the lemur hybrid enjoyed it in that porn video he'd watched last week. Youngjae nods and he brings himself to cup Daehyun's crotch which causes the cat hybrid to jolt.

"We'll do it together," Youngjae huffs and he has a pretty blush dusted on his cheeks. Daehyun smiles and he takes another experimental lick as Youngjae slips his hand into his boxers. The cat hybrid shudders as cold skin brushes against his heated semi hard cock and as he sucks on the wrinkled skin of Youngjae's entrance the scent of peaches washes over him, it makes him feel hungry almost.

Hungry for _more_.

"Youngjae did you bring any lube? And condoms? I wasn't able to get any," Daehyun admits and Youngjae crawls off of him, reaching for his bag which is sitting on his bed. His mother had been gracious enough to give him some condoms as well as a bottle of lube because if he was going to be having sex, safety is a priority. His father wasn't informed of this since he probably wouldn't be able to look at Daehyun without wanting to kill him.

"Yep, I don't think we'll need as many as I have but," Youngjae mutters as he drops a small bottle as well as a single condom onto the duvet. He resumes his previous position and hands Daehyun the lube, leaving the condom to their right. However, before he gets "seated" Daehyun's hand on his waist alarms him and he turns around to meet his eyes,

"Clothes," Daehyun whispers and he doesn't need to say more for Youngjae to understand. Slowly, they begin to remove their clothes and in Youngjae's case he's naked once his shirt is removed. Their clothes fall to the floor and in the dim lighting it isn't hard to tell that they're a little shy with being naked in front of each other for the first time. Youngjae was in no ways an insecure person, but when he was stripped to nothing, even he felt vulnerable.

"Want to continue?" Youngjae leans into Daehyun's hand as the cat hybrid cups his cheeks. He looks into Daehyun's eyes and is immediately swarmed with reassurance and understanding. He smiles and whispers an affirmation, gently weaving his fingers through the cat hybrid's hair, purposely brushing his ears as he moves closer to kiss him. Youngjae opens his eyes and he looks over to the clock with a grin,

"Happy birthday Daehyun," Youngjae whispers as he presses a soft kiss to Daehyun's nose. The cat hybrid's eyes widen and he hugs Youngjae close to him, a small purr humming in his throat as the bunny hybrid's skin touches his own. He smiles and he's truly thankful he isn't alone on his birthday this year. Daehyun lays Youngjae down onto the bed and takes hold of the lube,

"Give yourself to me Youngjae," his voice is serious and he speaks to Youngjae like he's the world. The bunny hybrid seals their lips once more before he pulls away and positions himself on his elbows and knees. He feels that not looking at Daehyun when he's being prepped will be much less awkward for the both of them. Both of their cocks have died down slightly and Youngjae prays he'll last.

Daehyun wordlessly opens the lube and squirts some onto his fingers, the smell of vanilla surrounds them both and complements their natural scents. Youngjae takes a deep breath as a cold fingertip teases his rim and he unconsciously tenses up as Daehyun pushes his finger into his hole. He winces at the pain and takes a few breaths to calm himself down,

"Are you alright?" Daehyun asks as he remains completely still, Youngjae nods and he waits for Daehyun to continue but it doesn't happen. Confused, he turns to look at the cat hybrid and sees that his eyes are trained right on him. He places one of his hands on Youngjae's ass cheek and caresses it in a way he assumes is supposed to be comforting.

"I want you to use your words," he tells him and Youngjae bites his lower lip. His childish mind is focused on how Daehyun is speaking to him so casually as though he doesn't have a finger in his asshole at the moment. His more mature and adult mind however, is swelling with adoration for this person behind him, he really lucked out on having Daehyun with him.

"I'm okay, give me a second to relax and you can add another," Youngjae whispers and Daehyun seems pleased with his thorough vocal response. Between squirts of lube and general discomfort on Youngjae's end, they take their time with the preparation. Youngjae isn't exactly sure why people find fingering so pleasurable but then again Daehyun has no idea where his prostate is, and that was supposed to be the magic spot.

Daehyun can feel Youngjae clenching down on his fingers and he wonders how he'll be able to last in his heat. He has three fingers worked into the bunny hybrid and he remembers something he wanted to try. He leans in and blows onto Youngjae's tail, watching the fur flutter before he teasingly takes a bite, however the reaction he'd expected doesn't occur and Youngjae catapults forward, successfully removing Daehyun's fingers from his ass.

"Why did you bite me," the bunny hybrid glares at him with red cheeks as he covers his tail in a defensive manner. Daehyun blinks at the sudden hostility and his mind runs in circles as he tries to figure out what he did wrong. He clears his throat and casually wipes his lubed fingers on the duvet before he explains himself,

"I thought it'd be sexy?" He laughs in an attempt to appease the situation and Youngjae sighs, releasing his tail before he shakes his head. Daehyun then determines that tail biting was not sexy and was not to sprung upon unsuspecting hybrids without them knowing. Youngjae settles down onto his back and he waits for Daehyun to hover above him, 

"We'll take this slow alright, I wouldn't want you to explode right when you enter," Youngjae says in a lighthearted tone and Daehyun just smiles, since he can't really make any snide comments about that. He didn't last too long during their fiasco at the park so he isn't expecting too much, he just knows he wants to make sure Youngjae is pleasured as well.

"If anything feels wrong, tell right away," Daehyun's voice was husky as he rips open the condom packet and slips it onto his hard member. He covers his length in lube before he presses the tip against Youngjae's entrance, he hesitates when he sees Youngjae tense but soon enough he relaxes and reassures that Daehyun can enter him. 

The cat hybrid feels a chill run up his spine and his tail whips behind him as his tip enters tight heat, they both gasp at the feeling, both for different reasons. Daehyun pauses as he catches his breath and Youngjae has his eyes closed, his fists clenched in the duvet as he frowns and tries to relax to the new sensation. Daehyun presses their foreheads together and Youngjae nips his nose playfully, he looks down at him and sees a cheeky smile.

As Daehyun slowly inches his way inside, Youngjae wraps his arms around the cat hybrid's body, a thin layer of sweat mingling between them as they connect and become one. Daehyun lets out the breath he didn't know he was holding as he bottoms out and he opens his eyes when Youngjae affectionately moves his sweaty fringe from his face.

"Are you okay?" Youngjae's voice comes out in little breaths, the moment so intimate between them that he doesn't wish to speak any louder. Daehyun bites his lower lip and is reminded that he too can't reply with just a nod. Youngjae shifts slightly and Daehyun gasps, hands gripping the bunny hybrid's shoulders tightly as he shuts his eyes,

"Don't move, I feel like I'm going to come at any moment now," Daehyun's voice sounds strained, almost painful as he holds in his orgasm. Youngjae is more focused on the ache currently forming in his lower back to the point that his hard cock lays forgotten beneath his belly button. He continues showering Daehyun with kisses, wiping the sweat from his forehead to calm him down, to help him relax.

"It's okay you know, there's always next time, and the time after," Youngjae reminds him softly, he kisses Daehyun deeply and moans when he feels the cat hybrid twitching inside of him. Daehyun nods and returns the kisses, conveying his feelings through his light touches. He pulls back slightly and meets Youngjae's eyes before he pushes back in, the first movement pulling different reactions from them both.

Daehyun's eyes are screwed shut as he creates a pace that is comfortable for them. One that still lets him hear the pretty moans slipping from Youngjae's lips, but he feels himself too near and in a moment of worry he wraps his hand around Youngjae's little erection. The bunny hybrid's eyes widen in surprise and he immediately cums onto his stomach through Daehyun's fingers.

The clench around him becomes unbearable and Daehyun releases into the condom with a shaky breath. His hips jolting his balls against Youngjae's ass as he rides through the aftershocks of his orgasm. The two pull apart, exhausted. Daehyun falls down beside Youngjae was a flop and they look at each other through rose coloured lenses, smiles spreading on their lips as they intertwine their fingers.

"Next time let's time how fast it takes us to cum," Youngjae suggests and he giggles oh so adorably. Daehyun rolls his eyes and he forces himself to remove the condom, tying it up before he tosses it into the garbage can sitting in the corner of the room. He takes a moment to wet one of their towels in the washroom and he cleans Youngjae off, the bunny hybrid had already dozed off.

Daehyun carries him over to the bed that wasn't tainted by their love making and he snuggles with Youngjae beneath the duvet. The bright smile on his lips slowly fades as he too falls into slumber and their bodies remain tangled for the remainder of the night, sweet dreams shared between them.


	18. Bellini [Epilogue]

Youngjae closes his eyes as a breeze flutters past him, the air is soft and the smell of coffee mixed with the richest chocolate embraces him. It's Spring again, months had passed and they were now in the prime of their last year of high school. He was now 18 years old and deemed an adult by society which made doing anything with Daehyun, who was currently 17, a little odd.

As per usual, the two danced around each other and around the thought of labels. They truly didn't wish to limit themselves like so, while some couples preferred many labels, Daehyun and Youngjae preferred to just be them two. They were best friends, lovers, boyfriends, fuck buddies if you wanted something a little less personal, but in the end it was just them two.

Even now as Youngjae sits on a lone bench in the local park, he has Daehyun by his side. 

They didn't speak of love or lust, everything was conveyed through touches and their eyes. An 'I Love You' would be as simple as a good morning, a hug, holding hands or a kiss. An 'I Want You' was shown through heavy lids and swollen lips, words passed through airy breaths and wandering hands. Needless to say, the two often indulged in one another.

Youngjae's eyes slowly open and when he turns to his left he sees Daehyun staring at him. He smiles and he casually scoots closer to the cat hybrid, previously having moved apart because he'd been too close and the shared body heat wasn't welcome in this warm weather. Daehyun graciously welcomes him as he winds his tail around the bunny hybrid's waist, purposely brushing his puff of a tail.

"What's on your mind?" Daehyun asks and for once the park is empty aside from them two. Then again not many people frequented the park on school days at noon, they both had a spare period before lunch and could get away with a few hours away from school, especially now that they were seniors and the pressure was on them harder than ever.

"I was just thinking about us, as usual. How about you? You were so quiet just now," Youngjae replies and it wasn't often that Daehyun remained silent as he thought. Daehyun too had something on his mind, hence why their conversation had naturally died out earlier, replaced by the sound of the wind and their breathing. The bunny hybrid's nose twitches as Daehyun squirms on his seat,

"Do you know what day it is Youngjae?" He asks. Youngjae blinks at the question and he hurriedly pulls out his phone, it was April 24th, Himchan's birthday had passed and he couldn't recall any important occasions he could've possibly forgotten. Daehyun takes his silence as an answer and he turns to his right, carefully pulling out a bouquet of sunflowers from his bag. 

"It's the 10 year anniversary of our engagement!" Daehyun exclaims as he holds up the bouquet which is still consisting of fake flowers but it holds much more vibrancy than the old plastic flowers sitting in the dusty vase on Youngjae's dresser. The bunny hybrid blinks at the bright fake bouquet and his cheeks puff up in amusement as he lets out a sweet giggle.

"I'm calling bullshit on that," Youngjae says and of course Daehyun rewards him an eye roll. However, he accepts the fake flowers anyways, the undeniable warmth seeping back into his chest, it feels like he'd just had hot chocolate. Daehyun leans in close and he presses their noses together, he inches their fingers close and intertwines them on the bench.

"So will you marry me?"

"... I'll give you an answer tomorrow," 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's officially over ;;   
> I don't think I left any loose ends when it comes to our main characters, Yongguk and Himchan are at college, Junhong is in Year 10 and Jongup is in Year 11 while Daehyun and Youngjae are in Year 12  
> Honestly, I can't thank you guys enough for loving this story so much ;; I really will miss it, my hybrid squad here was so much fun to write  
> Thank you so much for reading! Please do leave a comment :D it's the end, I'd love to know what you guys thought, and it'd be great if my silent readers popped in for the end as well <3  
> I hope you all had a great New Year's~ may all your wishes and ambitions come true in 2018!


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